Coronavirus – supplier and converter statements

Suppliers and converters are working hard to ensure that the supply of their products and services to customers remain constant and secure while they manage through the global Covid-19 coronavirus situation. Several businesses have already issued statements outlining their business continuity plans.

As the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve, the leadership team at acpo is vigilantly monitoring daily updates and following recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization. acpo is considered an essential business and will remain open during normal business hours.

‘The health of our employees and communities is our number one priority,’ the company states. ‘To ensure the safety of our employees, we have implemented stringent disinfecting measures of all offices and plant equipment. Our cleaning companies have been directed to perform daily disinfecting of phones, handles, light switches and restrooms. We have also educated employees on how to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission, including avoiding travels when possible. Electronic means of inter-departmental communication is being encouraged along with relocation of administrative personnel to meet or exceed the recommended six-foot distance.

‘At this time, we do not foresee any negative impact to our supply chain and are working closely with our suppliers to communicate our needs. We have designated customer service and scheduling staff equipped to work from home should the need arise.

‘Non-essential visitors, including freight carriers, are not permitted beyond the lobby or doorways. Those deemed necessary to travel beyond will be asked to follow the same hygiene practices as our employees.

‘In case of a regional disruption, we do have coating and slitting facilities in Ohio and Tennessee, along with slitting equipment in Washington, California, Wisconsin and Georgia.

‘Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding as we all work through this challenging time together.’

‘With the escalation of the coronavirus globally, Accraply would like to wish everyone well during this challenging time. As always, our main priority is ensuring the health and safety of our customers, vendors, employees and communities while continuing to deliver high-quality products and excellent service. We are taking appropriate measures to organize our business with social responsibility at the forefront of our actions; supporting direction provided by our local, state and federal authorities,’ said the company in a statement.

All Accraply facilities remain open for business and focus on Covid-19 mitigation efforts, with the intention to maintain full operability across all Accraply locations.

The company is following CDC guidance and introduced several steps to protect stakeholders and prevent illness including travel restrictions to only essential journeys, enabling customer visits in need of critical support, online meetings both internally and with customers to reduce in personal contact. All employees able to work remotely do so to minimize potential exposure within our manufacturing sites. Onsite operations-critical employees are taking their temperatures twice daily and staying home when sick. All associates are washing hands often, and we are disinfecting facilities daily.

‘Our global field service team is ready and available to support customers onsite, however, field service technicians are practicing social distancing and following an essential-travel-only policy. Our service technicians are limited to providing service within their region.

All employees, including service technicians, are following CDC illness-prevention recommendations, and monitoring their body temperature twice daily for their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of others.

‘We also offer remote service and support as many of our machines are equipped with remote diagnostics to assist with troubleshooting. Service technicians are leveraging remote support tools to enable us to work together as if we were together. After-hours phone lines are open for rapid response and expediated service.

‘Our global supply chain team is actively tracking the Covid-19 impact across our extended supplier network. We are proactively ensuring the global availability of parts, by monitoring stocking levels at all our global locations. In most cases we are shipping parts within 24 hours. We are in close contact with our supplier network and working collaboratively to mitigate potential disruptions. As of today, our lead times have not been impacted. If the situation changes, we will update you.

‘We appreciate your partnership and trust in us as we work through this unprecedented crisis together. We hope for a return to normal operations as soon as possible and our thoughts go out to those who have been personally impacted by the Coronavirus.’

‘We want you to know Adcraft Labels is here for you in these very challenging times.

Adcraft Labels is a manufacturer and supplier for many of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems and networks are vital to the United States, as listed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). These include, but are not limited to, Food and Agriculture Sector, Healthcare and Public Health Sector, and Critical Manufacturing Sector.

‘As a critical manufacturing facility, Adcraft Labels will remain open under the State of California’s Covid-19 Emergency Business Closure.

‘We are following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In line with these guidelines, we have instituted the following policies and procedures related to Covid-19: our customer service and sales representatives will continue to serve customers through the phone, online video conferencing, and email. If samples are needed, we will arrange couriers at no charge to customers; in addition to our current safety and health program, our production and shipping employees have stepped up their maintenance and safe hygiene practices. All materials leaving our facility are clean and safe; we have implemented a work at home program for many employees. We have also staggered breaks and are practicing team and social distancing in our factory. All measures possible are in place to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.

‘We are proud of our team, who are working within the state and federal guidelines to make sure all Americans have what they need. We will continue to work together safely because we understand that what we do is vital to the health and well-being of the citizens of California and to the nation as a whole.’

Monitoring the coronavirus situation very closely, Antalis is planning and preparing for each likely eventuality to ensure that its service will be as robust and consistent as possible.

David Hunter, regional managing director UK & Ireland said: ‘Antalis’ top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and their families. Like many others, we have already implemented many measures to mitigate risk, including enabling teams to work from home, additional hygiene measures, non-contact deliveries and travel suspensions. Our message to customers at this time is that our sales office lines remain open and functional and stock levels and the ability to deliver to you remains strong. Customers should use their existing contact numbers which are being manned by their usual contacts, who are now predominantly working remotely from home.’

Specifically, Antalis is taking the following actions:

Online Ordering – Antalis has ensured all customers now have an online ordering facility via its website at www.antalis.co.uk and www.antalis.ie. This will ensure that if they do hit a period of staff shortages, customers will still be able to place orders quickly and easily with real-time stock and price checks. The site also gives visibility of previously placed orders, the capability to re-order previous deliveries and the ability to view order history along with proof of deliveries.

A Dedicated Helpline - The Antalis teams are dedicated to helping customers throughout this period, providing support and guidance where they can as the situation develops. To help facilitate good communication, Antalis has set up a dedicated helpline on 01530 517298 or contact@antalis.co.uk. This is for any questions directly relating to Covid-19, or to provide feedback on how Antalis can further support customers.

Deliveries - Warehouses and logistics operations are presently running as usual as Antalis’ supply chain team has responded extraordinarily well in these unparalleled times. Antalis will make sure existing customers take priority on delivery routes and will work hard to ensure customers receive critical deliveries on time. Antalis will continue to offer a ‘one stop shop’ and therefore consolidated deliveries, from across its broad range of products covering Papers, Packaging and Visual Communications, are possible.

‘We realize that Antalis has an essential role in supplying print and packaging materials for vital industries such as food, pharmaceutical and healthcare. We are fortunate to have leading expertise and technology to design and manufacture bespoke packaging solutions, as well as having an approved global food safety certification. Our drivers are doing a fantastic job in safely delivering materials by following our strict guidelines, which include hand washing/sanitizing, maintaining a safe distance, curbside deliveries and keeping their vehicles clean, added Hunter.

‘We are monitoring the situation daily and will look for ways we can support our customers through this difficult time. We are working in exceptional circumstances, adjusting our plans as the situation develops and ensuring our customers are fully informed along the way. Our dedicated Helpline aims to support our customers throughout this period. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with us to share feedback, concerns, or just to show support! We will continue to listen, learn, adapt and find ways to help each other through the times ahead.

‘I want to personally thank our customers, staff, suppliers and all our stakeholders for their shared trust and commitment at this testing time and above all hope you all stay safe,’ concluded Hunter.

‘Being part of the essential supply chain, our team at Apex Pro America, Youyi Group is here every day making sure the customers are well serviced and supplied. We appreciate those who are doing the same to keep the backbone of the country running during this difficult time,’ stated the company. ‘We believe our great country will fight through this soon. Thank you, please stay safe, and we're here to help with all of your lamination and packaging tape needs at manager@apexpro.us’

Arcalian continues to operate as normal, with only one minor change, dispatch for stock items is now next day rather than same day to minimize the need for multiple courier collections. Stock on all major dust removal and static control products has been dramatically increased as demand, particularly in the packaging sector, continues to grow.

Arconvert and Ritrama are committed to supporting the health sector and the supply of essential necessities throughout the course of this pandemic, and to provide continuity of its service.

‘In an unprecedented global crisis such as the one we are now facing because of Covid-19, Fedrigoni Group is committed to ensuring continuity of service and protecting the supply chain of essential necessities. From the beginning of the emergency, Arconvert and Ritrama have been operating fully, without interruptions, to serve the food and pharmaceutical industries and the health sector, while working tirelessly to protect the health and safety of our people,’ the company stated.

The Fedrigoni Group has been ensuring the strictest level of compliance with all governmental guidelines and has introduced some extra measures to further improve the safety of all its employees: use of remote working, video conferencing instead of face-to-face all meetings, safety distances between colleagues in all workspaces and common areas, infrared temperature-testing to all staff at the entrance of factories and offices, restrictions for visitors and external suppliers. Additionally, the sanitization activities of all environments have been intensified.

Arconvert and Ritrama mainly produce self-adhesive materials for the labeling industry serving large-scale distribution to food, pharmaceutical and logistics sectors among others. As such the Arconvert-Ritrama products are a vital component in supporting the supply chain of critical items such as drugs and hospital devices, IV and plasma bags, as well as test tubes and products for the sanitation of environments.

Arconvert and Ritrama are constantly assessing the situation as it evolves and are adjusting operations to secure the entire value chain, from the stock management and flexibility of their plants, to supply chain management (including securing the services of alternative drivers should our current suppliers fail to meet our demand).

‘We are grateful for the privilege of being able do our part in this difficult moment, and we take this responsibility very seriously, both as an organization and as individuals. We strongly believe that, with everyone's commitment, we will win this momentous battle, together,’ said the company.

In order to safeguard the health and safety of its own employees and other stakeholders, temporary changes are being made to the Arjobex organization and business activity until the Covid-19 emergency has been resolved.

All office staff are now working from home and will be responding to telephone calls and emails as per usual. Between the March 27 – April 14 production is being scaled back to limit the amount of personnel in each manufacturing location. All scheduled deliveries and existing orders will not be impacted during this period as the dispatch and warehouse operations will continue to function as per normal. Short notice or bespoke orders may be subject to extended lead times if these orders cannot be supplied directly from existing stock.

‘At present Arjobex is not experiencing any issues with raw material deliveries and is well stocked to maintain production in the event of temporary interruption to supply. However, as the situation remains ongoing the potential for supply disruption exists should the virus continue to spread and result in stricter lockdown measures across Europe or result in the loss of production personnel to illness or self-isolation. In addition, if transportation companies as a result of their own policies, stop travelling to affected areas then disruption is also likely to occur. This is of course beyond the control of Arjobex and would be considered as Force Majeure,’ said Mark Grimbley, technical and quality manager at Arjobex.

'As unpredictable as it is disruptive, the current health context calls on us to respond to certain of your legitimate questions and concerns. In the face of this unprecedented situation, Armor has adopted a 2-pronged approach: to maximize the protection of its personnel in the workplace or when working from home and to maintain a level of production that is vital for the proper functioning of the industry,' said Tino Bocciolini, VP of sales and marketing at Armor Industrial Coding and Printing.

'Product traceability, especially for foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and other hospital accessories, is an integral part of an effective supply chain and Armor is deemed by the authorities to perform a strategic function; therefore our operations have been deemed essential and will remain exempt from any possible work stoppages. Our production sites (France and China) and our converting operations (14 around the world) are, all of them, operational.

'Our supplies will be maintained, our stocks of components, semi-finished and finished products are high, we have significant and fully available production capacity and the logistics chain is functioning correctly, both upstream and downstream.

'We therefore can (and will) continue with all due professionalism and responsibility to honor your orders while complying with the nevertheless vital restrictions designed to limit the impact of this health crisis,' concluded Bocciolini.

‘Ashland is committed to the safety, health, and security of our employees, their families, and the communities where we work and live. While global communities continue experiencing unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19, our hearts are with those affected by the pandemic,’ stated the company.

‘Recently, the Ashland team came together to solve in support of First Responders. These selfless men and women skillfully perform their duties while challenges seem insurmountable and under the weight of great expectations. We admire the courage and strength of these heroes. Their life-saving impact is felt in communities around the global.

In an effort to support these industries, AstroNova is now offering the following:

free, online demonstrations: in just 15-30 minutes, the company can evaluate a label system remotely with a no-obligation demonstration by one of its trained sales professionals. These demonstrations include an accurate cost per label and free samples of label artwork.

remote tech support: AstroNova’s technical support team is available, offering virtual, real-time assistance via a phone call or video conference away for all issues or challenges the customers may experience.

‘At AstroNova, our number one core value is “Customer First”. This includes both internal and external customers, and we remain committed to this statement. If we can help in these difficult times, please contact our customer service team: sales@astronovaproductid.com or call 877-757-7978 (USA only) or +1-401-828-4000 (International).’

‘As we all navigate the challenges of Covid-19, I want to reinforce our ongoing actions to ensure the health and safety of our employees, and our commitment to service our customers even in times of turbulence. We are grateful and proud of the dedication of our employees and our customers who make our brand stand tall every day. We are continuing to lead by our values of courage, teamwork and integrity to ensure the safety of our teams, while maintaining our operations and quality so that you can meet the demand of your customers during this time of uncertainty,’ said Jeroen Diderich, Avery Dennison's vice president and general manager of the Label and Graphic Materials division for North America.

‘Our customer service, sales representatives and application consultants are fully functional while working from their homes. As always, you are welcome to reach out to them with your product questions. We ask for your patience as we deal with unusually high demand right now. We will be focusing our efforts on fulfilling orders for essential consumer products like food, beverage, healthcare and pharmaceutical as those items are critical for the public.

‘All Avery Dennison employees who can work remotely are doing so. Manufacturing is at the core of what we do, and we appreciate these employees that are able to come into the production sites and keep things running. In sites that are remaining open, we have implemented a temporary hourly pay premium. Any employee who feels unwell is being asked to stay home. Employees coming into work are being asked to take their temperature daily. We are providing thermometers as needed. At sites that are open, proper handwashing and hygiene are mandated. Employees are also practicing social distancing of six feet. All in-person meetings have been limited or eliminated if possible.

‘We know we have a commitment to you and to ourselves. We will not let you down. I look forward to getting out to meet many of you as this situation passes and things get back to normal. We all recognize that this is a very difficult and uncertain time for everyone, but we are not losing sight of the importance of our work. We hope you and yours are staying healthy and we look forward to better times for our continued work together. Thank you for our partnership, for your loyalty and especially for the collaboration in today’s challenges.’

‘Here at AV Flexologic, we believe it is our role and responsibility during this challenging time to prioritize two things: the health and well-being of our employees, customers, and partners while also continuing to offer service on our products in the field,’ said Martijn Otten, managing director of AV Flexologic.

‘We are part of the food/packaging industry, which is expected to be one of the few sectors that will remain fully active during these difficult times. This means we need to do our best to make sure the end customers are able to receive their products.

‘We continue supporting our customers in the best way possible by providing video and remote assistance, demos of our mounting machines for customers are conducted live on-demand through specific online platforms. We have our parts warehouses in strategic locations all around the world and our local team of technicians to make sure that our customers are supported quickly and efficiently.

‘When it comes to installations, if we cannot be on-site due to the travel restrictions, we will guide you through setting up the machine remotely. Also, training will be provided remotely using online tools and videos.

‘We can provide travel histories for any of our team members, sales and support, and confirmation that they do not display symptoms of the virus before they enter your facility to perform service or support. Be assured that we will do everything we can to ensure you receive the same level of service and support from AV Flexologic during this time. Please take care of yourself and each other,’ concluded Otten.

‘What's the right thing to do? Since the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on Sunday evening we have been struggling with the questions: do we continue production or close; do we ask our staff to travel in or stay at home? I know we are not alone in this moral dilemma.

‘Today over 70 percent of the orders received are for food, drink and medical products. If the labels are not produced the products cannot be sold. Therefore, we have to continue to provide this ‘essential’ service but you can be reassured that we have taken every precaution possible to reduce the risk to our employees.

‘Everyone that can work from home is doing so; social distancing measures are in place throughout the factory and hand washing and sanitizing and hard surface cleaning is going crazy. Raw material supplies are causing some issues for the larger bulk runs but for short-to-medium [runs] we are OK. So, at this point we are producing on all departments and able to keep supply chains running during these challenging times. We hope everyone stays safe out there and we look forward to better times in the future.’

At Brady, we are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and we have successfully implemented countermeasures to stay operational and ensure business continuity in a safe way, and in full compliance with government regulations. At this point, we continue our production, are able to take your orders, and we are doing everything we can to ensure timely deliveries. We aim to continue to respond to your identification and safety needs for your people, products and premises.

Brotech has officially returned to work on Feb 17. The company guarantees to meet all customer's delivery requirements. In order to ensure the wellbeing of its employees during the epidemic, Brotech provides surgical masks and a series of protective materials as well as disinfection of the office environment each day.

‘At the same time, we also monitoring local situation with our global customers to know local situation and trying to help by providing masks and other protective materials. We will continue to cooperate with customers in China, South Korea, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and European countries, to support their current supply,’ said the company in a statement.

‘We currently live in extraordinary times due to the coronavirus, in which the safety of every human life has the highest priority. Our goal is to continue to operate and provide you with the personal service you are accustomed to. The health of you and our employees is paramount and we try to carry out all our actions in accordance with community solidarity and the legal requirements of our government,’ stated the company.

‘We will continue to be available by phone and e-mail to answer your questions and requests! We also keep an eye on our ability to deliver and - due to our internationally distributed production and assembly - we can ensure that we can supply you without any restrictions.

‘Finally, we would like to wish you all from the bottom of our hearts that you and your families stay healthy and get through these difficult times well, which will be followed by good times again.’

Given the acceleration of the coronavirus situation, recent decisions of local authorities, and to support customers and employees, Bobst Group has taken additional measures. The decision is to focus on what matters most: respect of the safety recommendations in all countries, global employees’ health prevention, and business continuity for all customers support.

Consequently, Bobst Group will put some factories at their lowest machine production level to focus on parts and services without compromising the security of our employees. The site of Bobst Lyon in France moved into its minimum production level as of Thursday, 19 March. The sites of Bobst Mex and Bobst Grenchen in Switzerland entered into their minimum production levels Friday, 20 March end of day. This measure will be valid for a minimum period of two weeks. The site of Bobst India will close until 31 March, based on government decisions. China is recovering and expected to be back to normal by mid-April.

‘We continue to closely monitor our technical service centers country by country to ensure the business continuity of our customers to the highest level possible. We assess daily the evolution of the situation in all countries, and for all Bobst sites, and take the necessary measures,’ we read in the company statement.

Bobst Group has taken the necessary measures to manage this crisis and to ensure its liquidity.

‘The Covid-19 virus presents new challenges to the country, its economy and people. At this point, we inform about the current state of affairs at cab. So far, the material supply has not been affected. cab devices and systems are manufactured in regular operation. No employee at our sites has been found positive for the virus,’ said Alexander Bardutzky, managing director of cab Produkttechnik.

‘Our main focus is to protect the cab staff, customers and suppliers. Stricter sanitation precautions have been set at all sites to minimize risks within the company. Participation in internal meetings and external events discontinued. Visits to customers and partners take place only in case of emergency. Business trips have been suspended. We kindly ask to refrain from visits to our sites until further notice. In accordance with operational procedures, workplaces have been switched to the home office and employees are working in alternating shifts in their departments.

‘You can reach us as usual by phone and email. Be assured that we are constantly revaluating the situation and are initiating appropriate measures to ensure the manufacture and delivery of our devices and systems as well as continuing service. Thank you for your understanding and support. Stay healthy.’

‘At Calor we are facing the global impact of the virus like everybody else. We have implemented special health protection to stay safe and healthy. We are producing and deliver in a normal way and time and in full compliance with government regulations. Our stock on all major qualities is sufficient,’ stated the company.

'The current Covid-19 pandemic has everyone on pins and needles,’ said Cindy White, CEO of Channeled Resources Group. ‘We continue to work as a family business, focused on finding ways to support each other, finding humor and meaning in our much quieter lives, while keeping the business going. We hope you are doing the same.

‘I felt it important to let all of our customers and potential clients know that Channeled Resources will remain open. Channeled Resources Group serves the food, logistics, and medical industries, to name a few. Our labels are used for product identification, distribution, transportation and other uses that are critical to keeping products moving to stores and important institutions. Our release liner is used in medical and food labeling applications. These are essential industries per our government, and because Channeled Resources Group supplies these essential industries, we will continue operating.

‘Our employee’s safety and well-being are our number one concern. We continue to reinforce social distancing, good hygiene and heightened disinfecting and cleaning. In the event we have exposure in part of one of our facilities, we would quarantine that part of the site and complete several deep cleans per CDC standards. In most cases, the entire site would not need to be shut down.

‘Please remain safe and try to find some new source of joy and non-screen entertainment in this quieter time in history.’

Colter & Peterson is assuring customers that as an essential business, it continues to supply critical parts and service for paper cutters and paper handling equipment throughout the US. The company is regarded as an essential services organization, according to the guidelines of CISA, the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency.

‘Although our corporate headquarters is located on the coronavirus pandemic’s outer fringe of metropolitan New York City, we have remained open and so have our other offices in California and Iowa,’ says Bruce Peterson, president and CEO. ‘We have implemented a plan for our customers and employees so we can support the supply chain industries that are delivering the necessary goods and services to help our nation during this crisis.’

‘My grandfather founded this company in 1932, and we have placed a high value on our employees since day one. We are following CDC health guidelines for social distancing by splitting our staff and no one is working in a group setting. We regularly sanitize our office space and production facilities. Our technicians are also following these guidelines to keep themselves and our customers safe while they perform work on-site.’

‘We want to personally reach out to let you know about our company’s ability to continue providing quality service and the actions we are taking in response to concerns about Covid-19. As the situation continues to evolve, the health and safety of our customers, employees and partners remain a top priority as does our committed to serving customer needs,’ said Gary Falconbridge, CEO of Colordyne Technologies.

‘We are currently continuing normal business operations at our headquarters but are limiting employee travel. If necessary, our sales and support teams will be able to continue assisting clients from off-property facilities.

‘We currently have printers across our full suite of solutions in-stock at our corporate headquarters in Brookfield, WI. This is good news, as we anticipate our ability to meet demand over the upcoming months.

‘Colordyne’s consumables supply chain has not been interrupted at this time. We are working diligently to ensure customers receive all consumables and components in a timely manner. With increased shipping demands and precautions around the world, we recommend ordering in advance or having an extra set of necessary supplies on-hand. We are doing everything in our power to deliver orders on-time but encourage preparation and advanced planning to avoid unforeseen difficulties.

‘As always, we will continue to provide timely communication and address any concerns as they arise. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like additional information. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.’

‘During these challenging times we would like to assure you that Dantex Group has followed recommended precautionary measures to safeguard our staff and customers and that we will continue to do so,’ said the company in a statement. ‘We are monitoring the situation day by day as it unfolds and will adapt our approach accordingly.’

‘Despite the restrictions currently in place around the world we would like to assure you of our continued service. Our Manufacturing, Operations and Logistics departments are functioning, and our technical teams are still available to assist you. We would also like to confirm that we are holding extensive stock levels, and we are still receiving regular deliveries from our suppliers.

‘We would like to work with you to ensure the efficient continuity of your business. If you have a sales enquiry, please contact your local representative or office as normal. If you require technical assistance, please contact your Dantex Account Manager or Technical Specialist.﻿

﻿‘We hope this message succeeds in reassuring you of our continued support, as we put on a united front to manage in these unprecedented circumstances. The Directors of Dantex Group are available should you wish to speak with them. Everyone at Dantex Group extends their best wishes to you, your family and colleagues along with our prayers for a speedy resolution to this situation.’

DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation (DNP IAM) today announced its office schedule and hours will continue under normal conditions to provide service and support for its customers in the DNP community. As an organization, DNP IAM is dedicated to the health and safety of its customers and employees and will continue to provide service and support while following the guidance of global health experts at the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The organization is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and is taking action toward preventing the spread of the virus. DNP IAM has encouraged employees and customers to wash their hands frequently and regularly clean and disinfect their facility and equipment. It has also suspended all international and domestic travel for employees and postponed all non-critical visitor, vendor, and contractor meetings.

“The health and safety of our customers and team members is our main concern at this time,” says Shinichi Yamashita, President of DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation. “We understand there is a lot of uncertainty, and we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to update our employees and customers with new information. DNP IAM has taken active measures to maintain business activity while strongly limiting team member interactions and will continue to make proactive decisions for the safety and care of our DNP community.”

‘As the global effect of the Coronavirus continues to define our marketplace, our manufacturing environment and our lives, the Double E family of converting specialists have enacted a number of measures to ensure the safety of our employees that enables all of our plants to continue operations to meet the mission-critical demands this global pandemic has placed on our valued customers and their respective industries,’ stated the company.

‘From the moment that “shelter-in-place” was recommended, Double E and its family of converting specialists took immediate, proactive measures to protect our employees, their families and the communities we operate within from the Covid-19 threat. Following procedures recommended by government and healthcare authorities, we enacted policies and procedures to protect our employees and their families world-wide. All employees who could perform their work from home were immediately asked to do so. Our essential on-site personnel were protected by a number of social distancing and hygienic policies and procedures. As many of our customers are essential businesses in the critical healthcare, pharmaceutical and hygiene industries, our plans and procedures have allowed us to keep our plants operational while protecting our employees.

‘The Double E family of converting industry specialists remains available to offer its expertise and products to keep those critical production lines running quickly, smoothly and safely. We want to thank our employees, their families, the local communities we operate within and our valued customers. All are helping each other personally and professionally to get through the new and unusual circumstances of the present. Double E is here to help.’

‘With a heavy heart, we close our headquarters form March 16 to April 3. Fortunately, we have no more cases, and we are all doing well. Still, out of solidarity with our families and out of respect for doctors and medical staff, we are doing what helps most: we are actively contributing to stop the further spread of the virus and stay at home,’ said Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst Group.

‘We took the issue very seriously from the very beginning, and we continue to do so. We help wherever we can, for example, with masks and protective suits for the hospital in Brixen, which, like many institutions, is currently struggling with a lack of resources.

‘All our branches are active - with the restrictions that apply in the respective countries. A networked trunk team also works for the headquarters - wherever possible from the home office. The highest security measures are in place for employees who have to stay at the company. The branches have stocked spare parts as a precautionary measure, and ink logistics are maintained - a service team can be reached remotely in case of emergencies.

‘We will use these two weeks to monitor the situation and work out scenarios and then hopefully - taking into account the legal status and only if we can ensure the safety of the employees and their families - restart production.

‘These are challenging times - we are sure that you, our customers and partners, will show solidarity with our employees and us. We are confident that we are doing the right thing and that we will come out of this situation stronger. Please take care of yourself and stay safe and healthy.’

'As the global situation around Covid-19 develops, I wanted to contact you today to share some of the steps we’ve taken at Edale to ensure that we maintain our usual quality, service, and support,’ said James Boughton, managing director of Edale.

‘Currently, all functions at our UK Head Quarters remain operational. Our worldwide agents and distributors and partners are working hard in their regions to continue to operate and provide the local service and support as needed. We’re working hard with our team and have put in place policies and contingencies to keep everything running, safely, and responsibly now and in the future.

‘Rather than face to face meetings, we are using online conferencing services. Visitors to our UK Head Quarters will be restricted at this time; however, we have online solutions in place.

Our customer support teams remain operational and whilst site visits will be constrained, we continue to supply parts and remote service. To ensure continued service, we have implemented where practical the facility for employees to work from home, and for those in the factory, we have split all core teams in two, and they now operate from two separate and segregated locations. We have increased social distancing and have implemented significant measures to increase hygiene and cleanliness.

‘I do not shy away from saying that this is going to be a challenging time, but I believe we are taking all necessary and responsible steps to ensure business continuity for the benefit of our employees and customers.

‘We continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidance of the UK government. If you would like to see a copy of our Coronavirus Policy, please contact us. We’ll keep you updated, but if you would like to discuss anything in the meantime, please get in touch. Please feel free to contact us by phone 44 (0) 1489 569230 or email our team at info@edale.com,’ concluded Boughton.

‘Covid-19 is presenting our world with unprecedented challenges and Enercon’s commitment to our customers and employees has never been stronger. We want to update you on the some of the things Enercon is doing to ensure your continued success.

‘Enercon remains open as we are considered part of the country’s Essential and Critical Infrastructure as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Memorandum.

‘We have taken steps to minimize risks to our employees and customers by engaging in recommended social distancing practices and following best practices for hygiene. Limitations on travel and visitors to Enercon facilities have been in place for some time. Employees who are capable of performing their job and supporting our customers from remote work locations are doing so while maintaining close contact with our offices and customers virtually.

‘Our engineering, production, parts and shipping teams remain active and are working on your orders to meet shipping expectations. Our technical support teams are standing by ready to assist you as well.

‘You may be interested to know that in normal circumstances, over 98 percent of calls to Enercon for support result in a resolution that does not require a visit. Our dedicated team of service engineers and application specialists are well prepared to help you. They are ready to use the latest virtual meeting and conferencing technologies when phone and email are insufficient. And, our extensive library of how-to articles, troubleshooting documentation, webinars, and videos resources means your team will get the information they need, when they need it.

‘As you likely know, Enercon is a family-owned business and we think of our employees and customers as family members. We hope that your family remains healthy during this virus outbreak and that your business continues its success.

‘Enercon is closely monitoring this unprecedented situation and will continue to keep you informed of any changes. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.’

‘ETI Converting Equipment, in spite of the Covid-19 shut down, continues to service its customers through its After Sales & Service Department. Even though travel is restricted, we remain connected to our customers and are helping them remotely,’ stated the company.

In addition, the entire ETI team is learning to work more effectively away from the office by staying in touch with one another using various web-based conferencing tools. This trying time has afforded us the opportunity to conduct high level reviews of current business practices and make positive changes in several areas. We are also busy preparing for our open house event later this year when we introduce our invited guests and the rest of the world to our new Technology Center.”

‘As the global effects of Covid-19 continue to evolve, Excelitas Technologies stands fully committed to ensuring the health, safety and well-being of our dedicated employees. It is also important for us to support the global community by maintaining business operations that serve our valued customers in essential services sectors including medical, semiconductor, security and defense,’ said David Nislick, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Excelitas Technologies.

‘In fulfilling our business responsibilities by delivering many photonic technologies that are critical to seeing the world through this crisis, Excelitas will continue heightened and unprecedented safety protocols. In addition to taking precautionary measures aligned with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), we are following local government guidance and regulations to safeguard our employees in the many countries in which we operate. These preventative steps are reinforced by the strong values and commitment that are embedded in our corporate culture and embraced by our 7,000 employees worldwide.

‘Further, we have eliminated all business travel, limited access to our facilities to operations-essential personnel only and are following best practices within our facilities to ensure the continued health and operation of our teams. This includes workstation distancing, health and temperature screening upon entry, staggered work shifts to minimize exposure, providing required medical safety equipment and enhanced deep cleaning regimens. All employees who are able to function remotely are working from home offices to support our business through close communication and coordination with our customers and supply chain partners.

‘Excelitas’ extensive expertise and diverse photonics technology portfolio are enabling a broad range of critical healthcare solutions that are directly involved in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, some of Excelitas’ critical products for COVID-19 response include:

‘As we safely serve our customers who deliver critical technologies to combat this crisis, we also actively reflect on the needs of others. We have supported and will continue to give back to local communities through the donation of critical supplies such as protective masks and suits to frontline healthcare providers.

‘Our top priority remains the health and safety of our employees, while maintaining continuity across our global operations to provide our customers with the undisrupted service and supply that will help protect the well-being of our communities-at-large. We are proud of and grateful for the commendable contribution of our Excelitas colleagues. They have demonstrated agility, dedication and bravery through these unprecedented circumstances. As we work together to overcome this global crisis, we sincerely thank you, our valued employees, customers and partners for your continued support and commitment,’ concluded Nislick.

‘Our goal during these very challenging times has been to keep our staff and clients safe and able to help run the business. All employees have been asked to work from home where possible. This also serves to further reduce the risk to our essential production and development staff still needing to come into our head offices. In addition, strict social distancing policies and regular working space cleaning routines prior to work commencing have been implemented,’ said Andy Cook, CEO at FFEI.

‘As of today FFEI’s offices have not been included in the UK Government business lock down and have been able to continue operations. We are pleased to say that as of today, we have not had any employees contract the virus, with only a small number having to self-isolate, but maintaining activity remotely.

‘So far, with the excellent efforts of our staff and business partners, we have been able to operate our business with production and development work continuing at our premises to meet original plans. I believe currently we are meeting all of our customer shipments and requests.

‘Should the UK Government force closure of all businesses, FFEI will make best efforts to continue supporting client requests, however we can expect some level of disruption to physical shipments. We will continue to monitor and adapt as necessary.

‘With the incredible efforts of our UK health workers, huge numbers of volunteers and the overall positive response from the public offering help, I’m optimistic that we will overcome the challenges created by the Covid-19. It’s inevitable that the world will offer new challenges and opportunities ahead, but we are confident that FFEI will be ready to work with our business partners to build even better and more innovative solutions.’

Since the decision of the postponement of the Finat Technical Seminar at the end of February, the spread of the coronavirus has been accelerating around Europe. Meanwhile we have lost count of the number of national and international industry meetings, conferences, exhibitions and public events that have been cancelled and/or postponed. While still working on the postponement of the Technical Seminar, we are also reviewing the scenarios for the European Label Forum in Rome next June. And while writing this statement, the news reaches Finat that also drupa has now been postponed to April 2021.

Finat wishes to express its sympathy with the members of the European label community and their local associations that have been hurt and hit by the crisis, especially in Italy but increasingly also in other countries as coronavirus continues its journey around Europe and elsewhere.

Apart from the public health risk, the virus is now also spilling over into the real economy, and members of the label industry are taking measures to contain the risk for their staff’s well-being and their business’ continuity. In some cases, more far-reaching measures are taken than those recommended or enforced by local governments and public health institutes.

What are you doing in your businesses to contain the spread of Covid-19? What works and what does not work? As the linking pin between associations, companies and their leadership, Finat wishes to support the European label community by sharing the collective knowledge and best practices of the members for the good of the entire industry. We kindly invite the reader of this statement to submit their contribution to info@finat.com or via the social media platform where this message is also posted.

‘First and foremost, we wish all of you, and your families, friends and employees health and safety during these unsettling times. Our industry, like countless others, is currently facing unprecedented challenges. As such, we would like to update you on our present situation,’ the company said in a statement.

‘The safety of our employees and our community is our number one priority. Flexo Concepts has taken measures that adhere to CDC and WHO guidelines in order to do our part in stopping the spread of the virus and to protect employees, families, customers and vendors alike.’

The company is following the guidelines set by the CDC and WHO and offered employees paid sick leave until further notice; moved almost all office staff to remote work; suspended all international and non-essential travel; stopped accepting any outside visitors; split shifts in manufacturing to create safety through increased separation; sanitizing workspaces on a frequent schedule and encouraging best hygiene practices.

‘While we’re aware of our role in the manufacturing chain that keeps other industries operating, we want to be mindful of the challenges facing our employees and their families,’ said Kevin McLaughlin, CEO of Flexo Concepts. ‘All employees are being offered paid sick leave until further notice and encouraged to take time off as they need it to take care of themselves and loved ones. Recent digital transformation efforts led by our president, Greg Howell, over the past few years have enabled us to quickly move our sales, customer service, accounting and marketing departments to remote operation.’

'Order processing will continue uninterrupted and unimpeded during this period while many of our employees are working from home. In addition, our reps and support people will remain available to troubleshoot pressroom issues through our various channels of communication which include phone, email and a website chat feature on our website,' added Greg Howell, president of Flexo Concepts.

The company will continue shifting best practices as the CDC, WHO, local and federal government guidelines and mandates recommend. It will also continue to update and communicate its procedures and operational capabilities as the situation dictates.

‘Whether it be a technical issue or a community related problem, please do not hesitate to reach out to us here at Flexo Concepts if we can help in any way during these difficult times.’

‘We would like to share some insights of the measures we are taking to protect our employees and maintain security of supply of our products,’ said Steve Dryden, COO Flint Group Packaging and CEO Flint CPS.

‘In line with our core values, our priority is to ensure that our workers have the ability to operate effectively and safely during this period of uncertainty. Therefore, we have implemented pre-entry temperature screening at our major manufacturing sites; on site hygienic work norms such as regular hand washing, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, health checks, increased cleaning and disinfecting measures and social distance rules; remote work whenever possible; most meetings have been replaced with conference calls or video conferences; and all but essential travel has been cancelled.

Flint Group has also taken actions with respect to external parties (incl. visitors, truck drivers, etc.) by cancelling large scale events; allowing only essential visitors and external parties on sites; and introducing specific safety protocols for truck / goods deliveries.

‘All our teams currently remain accessible to our customers and we have taken measures to maintain business continuity and ensure they continue to receive the highest quality service without disruption,’ continued Dryden.

‘At present, we are not experiencing any direct impacts on our material supply. The current situation is, however, both complex and dynamic and we remain in frequent communication with our direct suppliers located in China, Europe and in other parts of the world to ensure delivery of materials as planned.

‘Our global procurement team is reviewing material status daily for every region of the world and we have a weekly coronavirus global task force meeting. We will continue to work with urgent focus to gain more clarity as this situation develops.’

‘As a packaging supplier with a large market concentration in the food and household cleaning spaces, Fortis Solutions Group is acutely aware of the role we occupy in the supply chain for those products and the implications Covid-19 could have on our capabilities to meet the packaging requirements of our customers.

‘Our response to the Covid-19 situation is two-fold. First, we are focused on the health and safety of our employees, families, and the communities where we all live and work. In the printing industry, the majority of our employees are responsible for the manufacturing of physical packaging which requires them to operate or support our converting equipment. We have a plan in place to support our team members both at work or home.

‘Second, we are receiving continual and detailed communication from our entire supply chain. One hundred percent of all key raw materials used by FSG are sourced from US-based manufacturing facilities and we have implemented safety stock levels to ensure continuity of supply should there be an outage from one of our suppliers.

‘Our top priority is to ensure the safety of our employees while maintaining the stability of our supply chain to provide on-time delivery to our customers. Keep safe and healthy!’

Fujifilm’s business units focused on the commercial, sign and display, packaging and industrial print segments remain committed to continuing our support of these businesses, in accordance with government directives that permit essential businesses to operate when they supply or otherwise support critical infrastructure sectors and other essential businesses. Fujifilm’s manufacturing, distribution and service teams provide products and support to several essential businesses including, but not limited to newspapers, food and beverage packaging and pharmaceutical packaging and labeling.

‘We have implemented necessary steps to support our employees who can work from home and have instituted additional safety protections for those employees whose work must be performed on-site,’ we read in the company statement.

‘We understand how difficult this situation is for our customers and want to assure you that we have a comprehensive plan in place to continue to support your critical role in the communications process,’ said Todd Zimmerman, division president at Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. ‘While there may be future developments outside of our control, to date, we are operating all manufacturing facilities, and are here to work with our customers who remain open during this challenging time.’

‘The wellbeing of our customers, suppliers and staff is paramount to GEW. We are updating our response daily and adhering to Government advice in each country in which we operate’, states Malcolm Rae, Managing Director of GEW.

‘Significant and increasingly restrictive social distancing measures are being enforced at all GEW sites. However, GEW recognise that many of our customers operate businesses that serve essential national supply chains. Wherever possible, and within Government guidelines locally, GEW will strive to maintain full customer support. Our Sales and Service teams are active in the UK, USA and Germany and are further supported by our global distribution network. Our UK Production facilities are staffed and operational.’

‘GEW have always maintained good levels of stock, necessary to enable fast turnaround of a wide range of Arc and LED UV systems. Currently we hold several months of stock on all critical items. Our significant investment in local supply in readiness for Brexit has further strengthened our supply position. Components which originate from heavily affected areas are on long lead times and are therefore held in significant quantity.’

‘Whilst the international delivery of certain orders is inevitably proving to be more difficult than is usual, we are very confident of being able to maintain production, without shortage, for several months ahead.’

'Despite the current coronavirus situation, we are operational at all GEW sites and we remain on call for our customers. It is at times like this that GEW’s Remote Monitoring Service really comes into its own by enabling us to support all monitored customer installations remotely, from our global offices.

'GEW’s RHINO powered UV systems are supplied, as standard, with the Embedded Service package which allows Remote Monitoring to keep a watchful eye on each system’s running conditions over the internet, allowing our Service Support Team to detect and correct out-of-tolerance parameters before they can develop into a fault. This type of remote preventive maintenance ensures the entire UV system operates at peak performance at all times, improving efficiency and avoiding unplanned machine stoppages.

‘It’s during times like these that we need to look at our situation from all perspectives. Just because everything looks dark, it doesn’t mean that there is an absence of light. Yes, many things we took for granted in our personal and working lives have come to an abrupt halt. Even our freedoms have been reduced,’ said Reuben Malz, CEO and founder of Global Vision.

‘However, many things are working and are not broken. The supply of energy such as gas for your car and electricity for your home has never been interrupted. The internet, cloud, and Netflix are working, but maybe a little slower. Cell phones. Facetime, Facebook, and Twitter still work. The food supply chain is intact. Farmers are working, greenhouses are growing vegetables, and soon seeds for the fields will soon be planted. In short order, all the store shelves will be replenished after the buying frenzy abates. The sun still rises and sets every day.

‘Not everything is broken, but change is occurring at light speed. We have no choice but to give in and adapt to it. The office, the plant, the conference room, tradeshows, and meetings have become uprooted and relocated – to your house. Services and products still need to be delivered because consumption continues. It’s just the way it’s done which has gone remote.

‘We need to be grateful that technology is sufficiently advanced for us to jump tracks. These technologies are what allows us to work from home and keep services and products getting delivered.

‘I remember a time when the internet was born, and many companies did not trust it with their corporate assets. Everything remained in hardcopy form for many years. It was believed that anything on the world wide web was visible - to the world. We think back and laugh. It seems so silly now.

‘Now we are moving to the cloud and working remote. It is still early days but working, schooling, and entertainment is on a new rapid evolutionary track. Yes, it was happening anyway, but the world has been changed forever. When we arise from this chaos it will have changed everything. Welcome to the cloud earthlings.’

‘GMG remains fully operational, with GMG staff working remotely for any of support needs. Of course, supplying software is not a challenge, but GMG also wants its customer base to be aware that GMG media is fully stocked and ready to ship.

‘For customers who cannot access GMG equipment in their offices, GMG can offer remote solutions to keep them operational from home. Customers can contact GMG at supportamericas@gmgcolor.com to discuss how GMG can be of assistance.

‘GMG ColorPlugin allows operators to preview a job accurately on-screen using the enhanced preview function in Adobe Photoshop. If a user cannot currently access the office to use GMG ColorPlugin, GMG would be happy to set up a six-week temporary license for use at home. To take advantage of this offer, all GMG customers need to do is send the company an email message to infoamericas@gmgcolor.com with a current, valid ColorPlugin license number, stating the request is related to working from home due to Covid-19.

‘We want to reassure our customers of our continued service offering in light of the outbreak of Covid-19,’ explained Joe Varone, GMG Americas president. ‘Of course, the most important thing to GMG is everyone’s health and safety. However, we also know that our customers are adapting work habits to be productive while working at home—or with skeleton crews at print facilities. GMG Americas remains committed to supporting small businesses at this time and will do anything we can to help everyone stay on track.

The company will assist with proofing requirements for those who can’t access large format printers in their premises, on a pay per proof basis. GMG will endeavor to ship within one working day of receiving files.

The proofing option from GMG Color combines its ColorProof software with an Epson large format printer, and GMG ProofMedia. GMG’s remote proofing service can be provided on a variety of media, including GMG ProofMedia OBA and non-OBA in matte, semi-matte, gloss and Newsproof substrates. Also available for FOGRA39 proofing is the Epson ClearProof film and metallic foil.

‘We understand that everyone is experiencing significant disruption in these challenging times, and as such would like to support our valued customers and the industry as a whole in ensuring business continues where possible,’ said Karl Gessner, managing director of GMG. ‘We are also able to facilitate remote proofing using GMG systems in European countries including Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and would be happy to make introductions.’

‘We want to personally reach out to let you know about GM’s ability to continue providing quality service and the actions we are taking in response to concerns about Covid-19.

As the situation continues to evolve, the health and safety of our customers, employees and partners remain a top priority as does our committed to serving customer needs,’ the company said in a statement.

GM is currently continuing normal production operations at our headquarters and take use of home office as much as possible. Sales and support teams will be able to continue assisting clients from off-property facilities.

GM’s spare parts supply chain has not been interrupted at this time. ‘We are working diligently to ensure customers receive all parts in a timely manner. With increased shipping demands and precautions around the world, we recommend ordering in advance or having an extra set of necessary parts on-hand. We are doing everything in our power to deliver orders on-time but encourage preparation and advanced planning to avoid unforeseen difficulties. Installation wise we will use our comprehensive partner network for local installation and training, supported by GM technicians online. As always, we will continue to provide timely communication and address any concerns as they arise. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like additional information,’ we read in the company statement.

'The coronavirus pandemic is a challenging and unprecedented experience for all of us – taking a significant toll on our families, our economy and our day-to-day business operations,’ said Kristen Shields, president of Graymills. ‘The safety and well-being of our employees is, of course, our highest priority and we have consequently reinforced our best practices in preventative health and safety actions. I am very proud of the proactive thinking, calm action and creative problem-solving displayed by our Graymills team.

‘We are also committed to supporting our customers through these uncharted waters. Although Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced a statewide stay-at-home order aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, manufacturing has been exempted and deemed an essential business. At this moment, we are operating at full capacity, while exercising the utmost caution in our plant operations. We are committed to providing you with the products you need without significant supply chain disruption.

‘I’m sure you understand that new information is coming out on an almost hourly basis. Should we need to revise our manufacturing operations, we will send an additional e-letter and provide any additional updates on our website.

Due to the epidemic, Guangzhou Liabel resumed normal operations on Feb 10 in accordance with government instructions. ‘Before the resumption, we held several online conferences with managers, preparing the disease prevention materials, arranging the shift schedule of employees’ work and taking various countermeasures,’ said Lin Jinsun, general manager of Guangzhou Liabel.

Guangzhou Liabel communicated beforehand with their long-term suppliers such as Avery Dennison and RotoMetrics in order to ensure that resuming the production will meet requirements of purchase orders. The company has been running five printing presses 24 hours a day to produce labels for disinfectant and sanitizer, the remaining two machines are used for some temporary tasks.

‘So far, we have increased the number of our employees comparing to the previous year. We employed more workforce to substitute some employees from Hubei who can’t return to work yet,’ said Lin Jinsun. ‘Our label products have wide application ranges so the pandemic impact may come out after a certain period. Due to the epidemic, many brand owners in various industries suffered a reduction in business or personnel, some were even shut down, which will unavoidably push label converters to adjust business structure.’

‘Moreover, Guangzhou Liabel learned a lot from this epidemic event. For example, in a daily preparation, each company should have emergency countermeasures in production facility, technical staff training or working efficiency in order to deal with potential risks in the future. Secondly, the advantages of intelligent facility are more and more prominent such as smaller dependency on human resources. An intelligent management will boost the upgrade and transformation for companies in future. We believe China will overcome epidemic difficulties and resume normal operation as soon as possible.’

‘Our company continues to monitor developments with respect to the Covid-19. Our parent company has assessed the impact and status of their supply chain and they have confirmed that currently there is no impact to the supply chain of Hamamatsu Photonics’ manufactured products,’ the company stated.

‘The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. We are closely monitoring guidance by the World Health Organization and other public health organizations. As an essential service, we continue to operate to and from impacted areas as local conditions and restrictions allow and are taking recommended precautions in terms of our employee health and safety.

‘Your usual contacts can be reached and are available via various channels: mobile phones, e-mail addresses and individual video conference web links. Our technical service can also be reached by phone and e-mail as usual, however visits at customers is only offered in very urgent cases.

‘We realize this situation remains very dynamic with information continuing to change day-to-day, however, should there be any change to the above we will update this statement as appropriate. We are confident in our preparation and contingency planning for situations such as this.

‘We remain committed to providing the same high level of service and support to our customers through this situation. If you have further questions you can always contact us at +49 8152 375 0 or by mail info@hamamatsu.eu.’

‘To mitigate risk from the Covid-19 pandemic all of our employees are working from home and our ability to respond to your support and licensing requests is unchanged; we want to assure you that we remain available to support you in the usual way. With our best wishes for your continued health and safety.’

‘As the leading global supplier to the printing industry, we are often faced with challenges that require us to implement contingency plans to sustain our operations and minimize customer impact. The current Covid-19 situation is no different. As of today, we are operating under a “business as usual” standpoint with no impact to the US supply chain in regard to consumables and parts deliveries or to our manufacturing facilities in Germany,’ said the company in a statement.

Heidelberg is closely monitoring the situation as it changes minute-by-minute and is in touch with all our carriers and vendors and will alert its customers if it will foresee any changes or disruptions to the business.

‘With the largest service network in the industry, we have the flexibility to make necessary adjustments to continue providing industry-leading service for our customers. We, of course, also need to ensure the health and safety of our own employees, so we will continue to follow the guidelines and recommendations of the CDC as changes occur or should the situation worsen. We are having weekly internal meetings to safeguard the well-being of our employees and customers and to develop plans for various scenarios to lessen any business impacts to you.

‘We will continue to send additional communications to you as needed. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please contact your local Heidelberg sales representative or email us at info@heidelberg.com.’

‘The epidemic suspended China economy for almost one month. Field visit were restricted, resulting a definite influence to a certain extent in HP Indigo sales in China. For example, some intended digital press buyers might postpone the purchasing plan due to failure of investigate and test in practice.’ said Allan Feng, HP Indigo label segment director.

When the offline activities were restricted, HP Indigo China used this as an opportunity to maintain and upgrade the online support service system. ‘Our online services are running 24/7 during the epidemic period. Some label converters met different software or hardware issues because of postponed work resumption. So, we also arrange our service engineers for nearby field support under the premise no harm to employees’ health,’ added Feng.

‘We believe all the influence of epidemic is temporary. From a long-term view, it may push brand owners to be more reliant on big data analysis, thus lead to more diversified label demand. At the same time, the attention of consumers on product quality will also enhance the brand protection awareness. Label also represents product identification and source tracking for anti-counterfeiting. In order to meet these demands, label converters need more flexible production and management modes.’

‘In the new year, we will continue to try to lower the digital printing costs. On one side, HP Indigo will expand our product applications and explore more and more new possibilities of digital printing together with brand owners; on the other side, we will develop and launch more faster and high-quality digital press so as to improve the production efficiency and lower time cost in further.’

'The top priority these days is to maintain the health of all employees and the ability to deliver,’ said Dr Martin Bergsmann, CEO of Hueck Folien. ‘The family-owned company supplies label material for e.g. pharmaceutical and medical products. The production of this products is part of the critical infrastructure and must be maintained even in times of crisis. Measures were therefore initiated as soon as the situation in China became known and the first infections in Europe were detected. Stricter hygiene measures now apply, and work processes have been adapted to the new situation in order to minimize the risk of infection in the workplace.

‘So far, there have been no Covid-19 infections in the company - and with a full team, there have been no breakdowns of shift teams or machines. Customers all over the world can rely on products from Baumgartenberg even in exceptional situations.

‘The company continues to produce in a good order situation, we are fully able to deliver, and the material supply is secured until the end of April,’ concluded Bergsmann.

‘In my 45 years in the graphic arts industry, I have never been confronted with a crisis that emerged as quickly and escalated as fast as the Covid-19 pandemic,’ said Guido Van der Schueren, chairman of Hybrid Software. ‘In the spirit of partnership, I wanted to reach out to all of Hybrid Software’s customers to explain our response to the crisis and how we will help our customers respond to this challenge.’

To protect the health and safety the company customers, employees, and partners it will act responsibly and in compliance with all government guidelines to mitigate the spread of the virus. It will ensure business continuity for its customers by providing uninterrupted support and additional assistance and will continue the development of labels and packaging software without interruption.

‘Most Hybrid employees will be working from home for the next two weeks, in compliance with official guidelines that have been issued in many countries. Please rest assured that Hybrid’s cloud-based infrastructure has always been designed to support our distributed global workforce, whether they are working remotely or from the office. Our response to support and licensing requests will be unchanged. Office voicemails will be monitored, and you are always free to contact any of our employees directly by cell phone,’ continues Schueren.

‘Customer visits for installations and demonstrations will be more difficult with travel restrictions in place. We will contact all customers with scheduled appointments to reconfirm plans or make alternative arrangements for remote installation and training.

‘We understand that Covid-19 presents challenges to your business as it does to ours. If your employees are working from home and need additional temporary licenses for Packz or Cloudflow, we are happy to provide these licenses for the duration of the crisis at no cost to our customers.

‘If we can do anything else to lessen the impact of Covid-19, please feel free to contact me at any time. Together we will weather the storm and return to business as usual as quickly as possible. Thank you for your continued support,’ concluded Schueren.

‘Icap-Sira is a chemical group with the heart in Italy, but with an international profile, and is part of the production chain of medical and food products, as pressure sensitive adhesives manufacturer,’ stated the company.

‘Even in these completely exceptional events, the priority of Icap-Sira does not change: we work with the utmost respect for the health and safety of all our employees and stakeholders. The additional measures that we have adopted in these days are aimed at addressing a context that has changed in a very short time. We continue respecting and enforcing the rules for the good of all.

‘The administrative, commercial and technical offices are open and almost all of the people are working remotely.

‘The meetings are held remotely, where not possible, the number of participants has been reduced to a minimum, ensuring the safety distance between people and adequate cleaning and ventilation of the premises. Looking ahead, we aim to keep all the sites operational and to offer our customers a technical-commercial service that allows them to work.’

'As we continue to navigate through global Covid-19 challenges, the IIMAK team remains committed to supporting increased safety measures and social distancing practices to ensure the wellbeing of our employees, families and communities,’ stated the company.

Tom Bamrick, vice president of sales and marketing said: ‘We are proud to say that our global manufacturing locations continue to produce at high capacities and our raw material supply chain remains strong. Our production team, and all those at IIMAK continue to rise to the occasion to deliver the same lead times, availability and customer experience during this challenging, fluid and complex crisis.

‘IIMAK and our partners are part of a vital supply chain that keeps our country and the world functioning. IIMAK’s Thermal Transfer Ribbon solutions print labels and packaging with the information that keeps product moving. This ensures businesses in truly essential industries like food, medical and transportation have the supplies they need, when they need them.’

IIMAK also has a medical division called iiMED. With over 1000 employees, iiMED is playing a crucial role in the fight against this pandemic. ‘We manufacture Class I and II single use disposable medical devices such a blood pressure cuffs, pressure infusers, compression devices, and patient mobility/positioning products. We take pride that our team is now producing masks for our employees and several local hospitals,’ added Bamrick.

‘Whether helping with the flow of essential products through the global supply chain or providing medical products to those in need during this crisis, the employees of IIMAK and iiMED are here to support our partner’s business needs during this challenging and rapidly changing time.’

‘The group continues to closely monitor the spread of the Covid-19 daily. In accordance with the latest recommendations and decisions of government leaders and health officials of the countries most at risk we have adapted our modus operandi to contain the virus.

‘In Italy, Inkmaker and Tecnopails’ premises are temporarily closed for one week. Similarly, in France and in UK for Rexson and Vale-tech. In Malaysia, Inkmaker and Teko’s premises have closed until end of March. In these countries we are working remotely where possible. However, in the United States, Inkmaker remains open and the assembly unit in Shanghai is fully operational and to handle the increased demand. We have doubled the production capacity of our premises there.

‘Technology, between our brands continues to be shared electronically to increase efficiency in all our products across our brand range. Stock levels remain unchanged and we continue to complete orders.

‘Additionally, Inkmaker Group and its subsidiaries wishes to reassure our customers that our global team is actively managing our factories, warehouses, suppliers and partners to ensure our supply chain proceeds with the least interruptions possible and business continues as usual. We are here to answer any questions you may have and will keep you updated as developments progress: info@inkmaker.com.’

Inkmaker Group encourages customers to follow their social media accounts for the latest developments: LinkedIn and Facebook and website Inkmaker.com or contact info@inkmaker.com regarding any customer queries.

‘The challenges we face as a manufacturer have not come from raw material shortages as has been the main concerns from our customers, we do not foresee raw material supply being an issue at least through the third quarter 2020,’ said Craig Tinerella, director of operations at Interactive Inks & Coatings.

‘The uptick in consumer and industrial spending has stressed the supply chain regarding the distribution of containers and shipping material. In the short term the main challenges have been sourcing containers for shipping finished goods. Many distributors have discontinued selling to companies outside of the medical supply chain and we do not expect to see a steady supply return until perhaps mid-June.

‘Keeping our employees safe and healthy through these challenging times has become our main concern. We have altered our operations to accommodate social distancing and implemented daily screening of incoming employees, thus far we have been able to maintain full production at our facilitates. We certainly hope everyone stays happy and healthy and would like to assure you that Interactive Inks and Coatings is open for business.’

Currently, further reports about the new corona virus are published every day. Intravis is continuously monitoring the Covid-19 situation and stand by its responsibility to the society as well as to its customers.

‘As a company in a social community, we have an obligation to help to slow the spread of the corona virus,’ said Dr Gerd Fuhrmann, CEO of Intravis.

The company has implemented important steps in order to reduce the number of social contacts as far as possible with the majority employees working from home since the middle of March. Within a very short period of time, the IT department created the infrastructure to continue to process all upcoming tasks smoothly.

‘We are fully operational and can process all tasks in the usual quality and time. As a company that is committed to technological leadership, we have the internal technology and capabilities so that our employees are able to complete their tasks from anywhere in the world. All our systems can be maintained remotely by our experts. Our warehouse is fully stocked, so we can deliver ordered systems within the next eight weeks. And the upcoming installations of new systems can be carried out by the customers’ own employees, guided by our service department and with appropriate audio-visual support to customers’ technicians,’ concluded Fuhrmann.

INX International will continue its manufacturing operations amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, in accordance with government directives that permit essential businesses to operate when they supply or otherwise support critical infrastructure stability.

INX will continue to support our customers’ production and distribution of vital food, beverages, and household health and safety products as an essential supplier.

‘Production is especially critical right now to meet the sudden increased demand from consumers and retailers,’ explained John Hrdlick, President and CEO of INX International. ‘Our customers require inks and chemical products for all forms of food packaging, medical labels and vital communication materials defined as printed media. The manufacture of printing ink is a fundamental chemical process to prevent widespread shortages of these essential products around the globe.’

INX’s role as an essential supplier will not detract from our commitment to our employees, as Hrdlick explained. ‘The safety and well-being of our employees, as well as our customers and suppliers, is of the greatest importance to us. While we will continue our manufacturing operations, we, like many other businesses, have taken necessary steps to support employees’ work from home when feasible and to institute additional safety protections for those employees whose work must be performed on-site.’

‘The world-wide coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone, and Kao Collins is no exception. We’re committed to transparency, so we want to communicate what we are doing and how it may impact you, our valued customers.

‘Accordingly, we have prioritized production to meet this urgent need. As a result, some of our customers may face delays in fulfilling orders by a few days. We’ve all seen businesses and communities come together during this unprecedented crisis. We ask for your patience and understanding as we face these challenges.’

‘We are fully operational and will remain open, we are triaging production and prioritizing at risk industries such as Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Operations, upon receiving new orders we will issue a ship date. We will proactively notify all customers of any delays with existing or future orders. Longer lead times and delays are possible.

‘Our employees are our most valuable asset and their health and safety are of utmost importance to Kao Collins. We are proud of their efforts to help in this time of need.

Therefore, we are practicing social distancing, providing sanitary materials and proper PPE for all employees, limiting office time for employees who can work remotely, lengthening the workday to create split shifts that reduce the number of employees in the building at once, disinfecting the entire plant after each shift.

‘As a part of the Kao Corporation, we are embracing the mission to deliver wholehearted satisfaction and enrichment of the lives of people globally, and to contribute to the sustainability of the world.

‘With your cooperation we will serve all of our customers’ needs during this time of uncertainty. Please contact us if you need additional information.’

‘Thank you for allowing our dedicated team to continue to serve your coating needs. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact all aspects of our lives, be confident the health and welfare of our employees and customers remain our primary concern,’ said Mike Klinge, president of Keco Coatings. ‘We are regularly checking for updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). With this information, we are executing strategies at our locations to offer secure settings.’

‘At this time, all Keco facilities will remain open. We realize some of our customers require face-to-face contact when receiving or delivering their pieces. With that in mind, KECO will continue to clean and sanitize all areas especially hi-touch areas throughout our facilities to prevent any spread of the virus. Keco’s production will continue until further notice. Currently, there has been no indication of vendor issues regarding material delivery or product packaging.

‘Keco will support our customer’s needs regarding technical questions, quotes, payment arrangements, and delivery updates. If a portion of our staff is required to work from home, we will continue to provide the necessary communication. Keco will proceed to maintain utmost concern regarding customer satisfaction.

‘If you prefer a pickup or drop off without person-to-person contact, please call the designated office of interest. We will provide the means necessary to uphold our customer’s needs,’ concluded Klinge.

‘As a PET heat shrinkable film supplier, Klear Plastic Ventures (KPV) believes the Packaging Industry is fundamental to assuring all of us have access to the products: food, beverages, health care and more, required to sustain our daily lives. As such, KPV recognizes that our shrink sleeve label customers are in a life-sustaining business and we are committed to doing our part to provide them with an uninterrupted supply of film during these unprecedented times,’ said George Pinter, partner at Klear Plastic Ventures.

‘KPV has contacted all its supply chain partners to ask what steps they are taking to protect the safety of their employees, while maintaining supply continuity. All suppliers are assuring us that this is their company’s number one priority. All responses include an awareness of the CDC and WHO recommended preventative measures – washing hands, using hand sanitizer, social distancing, disinfectant cleaning of touch points. They are asking their team members to continue to be vigilant and practice common sense during this difficult time.

‘We are confident our supply chain will continue to function at a near normal level. Please email us at pet@klearplasticventures.com if you have any questions.’

‘With the Covid-19 pandemic causing panic and uncertainty globally, we wanted to update you with current situation at Labels UK. It is business as usual at Labels UK and we remain committed to providing our customers with the best possible service in designing and producing labels.

‘We are, of course, taking extra precautions internally to ensure this service continues while carefully monitoring the advice of the UK Government. Additional measures and resources have been implemented to ensure the continuity of our service to you.’

'The Covid-19 pandemic is presenting extremely challenging times. Labeltech focus is to protect and safeguard the health of its employees, customers and suppliers. We remain fully operational to ensure efficient business continuity for our customers,’ stated the company.

‘We have implemented remote working option for our technical and customer service teams, and we will continue to offer our high level of service and support to our customers.

‘We have also adopted additional safety measures in compliance with all government directives and guidelines for our production department to ensure a safe working place to our staff members whose work must be performed onsite.

‘We would like to thank our customers and suppliers for all the thoughts and messages that we have received. We wish everybody all the best hoping that this global emergency will be resolved in the shortest possible time.’

‘Longford continues to operate during the current shutdown since we are part of the supply chain supporting essential business services manufacturing. Our dedicated staff are working to ensure continuous support during normal business hours. Please reach out to us if you require assistance. In the meantime, please remember to follow proper hygienic protocols and practice social distancing,’ we read in the company statement.

‘Since we are a key supplier to the pharmaceutical, pharmaceutical labeling, food packaging and other essential industries, we will continue to support our systems and continue to ship out current orders. Non-essential travel is restricted for the near-term future, but we offer no charge phone, video calls and on-line remote technical assistance to keep your Longford systems up and running.

‘Most parts are available to ship same day or within 24 hours as normal. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns at: service@longfordint.com.’

‘While we know this is a difficult, unknown time, we are proud that by being designated as an essential business, we can continue to help aid the nation in sustaining and recovering from this crisis by producing label material for supplies such as grocery store shipments, food, beverages, medical products and much more,’ said the company in the statement.

‘We will remain open and continue to evaluate ways to protect our employees, their families and our customers. We have put in place contingency measures to ensure your day to day contacts are working effectively from home, with full access to our systems and can be reached, as normal, by telephone or email. All facilities are implementing focused disinfecting actions, as appropriate, and our cleaning contractors have been instructed to deploy additional disinfecting practices.

‘Working together, with the Lintec Corporation providing a strong foundation, and with our supportive supplier base, we can help keep our end users' products shipping and provide consumers with access to critical products across the country in the coming weeks and months. As an industry, we have a duty to keep our customers supplying the nation. Thank you again for playing your part in keeping the economy moving.

‘We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to all spouses, friends and family who work in the healthcare system or protection services for all they are doing to assist our nation during this time.’

‘In this difficult and rapidly evolving time, we are all dealing with challenges that affect our home and our office. Mark Andy’s commitment is the same now, as it ever has been, to keep your business up and running to the absolute best of our ability,’ said the company in a statement.

‘We’re thankful that we can remain at full production, manufacturing Mark Andy presses right here in St. Louis, Missouri as well as Rotoflex equipment in Toronto, Canada. Mark Andy Print Products is also fortunate to have a US-based flexo, offset and digital supplies distribution facility in Des Plaines, IL, along with additional distribution locations throughout the United States. And our service teams are still available to meet your equipment service needs, while keeping our employees and your employees safe by taking extra precautions.

Should you be facing unforeseen demands, we’re here to help. Whether through our supplies inventory, new or used assets or remote support, please let us know if there’s anything at all that we can help with to get you through these challenging times. If you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out to any of our dedicated professionals. Additionally, we are currently monitoring info@markandy.com 24 hours a day in case you need our immediate assistance.’

‘As the world continues to monitor and assess measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, we have taken additional steps to focus on our top priorities, which are to ensure we safeguard the health of our employees and preserve our ability to operate to service our customers,’ said Odd Joergenrud, CEO of Maxcess International Corporation.

‘Maxcess is committed to providing a safe environment for our employees, their families and the communities in which we operate. At the same time, supporting our customers is a priority, and our global teams are hard at work to ensure we can do that throughout this situation while acting responsibly to do what we can to mitigate further spread. Many of our customers are essential businesses or support identified critical and essential industries producing necessary materials, providing components and manufacturing supplies. Maxcess is committed to doing our utmost to serving all of you throughout this crisis.

‘The possibility of non-essential business closures ordered by federal, state or local government agencies has become a reality. In these scenarios, such agencies have thus far identified “essential” or “critical” businesses and industries as exempt from these restrictions due, in part, to the life sustaining nature of the products and services they provide. Manufacturing companies, like Maxcess, and employees necessary for the manufacturing of materials and products needed for the medical supply chains, transportation, energy, communications, construction, agriculture, chemical manufacturing and supplying essential products for industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical and hygiene have thus far been identified as exempt from these restrictions.

‘Over the past several weeks, we have implemented business travel restrictions, removed non-operations personnel from each location to protect the health of our on-site operators, implemented extra disinfection cleaning services, established “social distancing” guidelines for those employees who remain on-site, and developed protocols to support the health of employees. Many of our employees who can perform their jobs from home and do not have to be in our offices are now working from home to minimize any potential virus transmission between employees.

‘We realize this situation remains very dynamic. As additional business closure or shelter-in-place restrictions are implemented, we will review all provisions closely to confirm that we are able to continue supporting your business.

‘Thank you for your trust in Maxcess. We are here to offer solutions to help during this challenging time and remain committed to providing the superior service and products that you have come to expect of our company.’

‘We faced many issues like other Chinese label converters, for example purchase of virus prevention materials including masks, alcohol sterilizers, disinfectants and thermo-detectors. Especially masks are very difficult to purchase and have reached an extraordinarily high prices,’ said Liu Jincheng, general manager of Megavision.

‘Secondly, we faced a significant increase in the transport cost, as at the time of resuming the business we could only use SF-Express with the rest of the transport network being suspended.

‘We will keep going steadily to avoid or at least relieve some of the impact of epidemic on our company. For example, many payments failed to reach our accounts on due date, resulting our cash flow tension. Meantime, we need to afford more social responsibility in such special period, and to make contributions for the whole society’s resumption.’

‘Michelman continues to take a proactive approach with all aspects of our business as they relate to Covid-19. The safety and well-being of our employees and their families, customers, and suppliers remain our top priority. We’re providing regular communications to ensure safe working conditions and are focused on continuously improving our processes and procedures,’ stated the company.

‘We are considered an “essential business” due to our critical role in supporting several critical industries. As such, our operations remain open, and we are fulfilling customer orders as required according to standard lead times. The only exception is in India, where the government implemented a full country shut down until May 3, 2020.

‘Michelman sources very few materials from any of the identified global hot spots, and we have been assured by suppliers that all is working as normal. And, while we recognize that there are growing concerns with the availability of ocean freight, we have not experienced any issues to date. We have also taken steps to increase inventories of critical materials globally to address any potential challenges. We are also continuing to qualify products across our facilities so that we are not dependent upon any single location to serve you, and our leadership teams remain in regular contact with our key suppliers in each region to assess the latest challenges and mitigate supply chain risks.

‘Michelman has implemented additional activities to ensure our ability to keep our facilities running. Additional sanitation activities at our locations have been implemented, we have segregated teams of workers and laboratory employees to minimize interaction, and have third parties engaged to provide immediate disinfection should any Michelman employee contract the virus. Furthermore, while any non-operating third party visit is prohibited at our locations, we have also developed strict processes for inbound and outbound deliveries and continue to monitor those few external parties who need to come on-site for any symptoms.

‘Like most companies, Michelman is leveraging remote connectivity solutions for employees that are not directly associated with our physical operations. Most Sales and Administrative functions are being performed without any effect on our usual commercial channels. And, while our laboratories have scaled back to better comply with stay-at-home orders, our technical teams stand ready to react to any current issues that might arise to help our customers leverage Michelman solutions to develop even more robust products.

‘At this time there are no known major supply issues; however, we are working on back-up carriers or transportation means to ensure our deliveries are on time. Despite all our efforts, with the challenges the world is facing and the dramatic changes facing our supply chain, it is possible that we could experience issues in the delivery of our products. In these cases, our territory managers will stay in constant communication with our customers to find solutions and provide updates as conditions warrant.’

'It’s a difficult time we’re living in, which requires a higher level of flexibility and creativity. Rest assured that MPS and our partners are here to support you in any way we can. We understand many of you are still running high production levels, since customer and product demands remain high for the majority of our industry sectors,' said Atze Bosma, CEO of MPS.

MPS continues to operate at full production with 24-hour service to support all business demands.

'In any event affecting productivity of your MPS presses, we can connect remotely to ensure your production uptime is secured. Spare parts and helpdesks are available at a global scale. We will continue sharing our knowledge and offer solutions that help you maintain and even improve your business through (online digital) training programs and remote service. These challenging times require flexibility and creativity. We, and our partners, are here when you need us,' concluded Bosma.

‘As we address you today, our thoughts are with all of those who have been personally impacted by Covid-19 and to those who are helping to safeguard our communities and assist in their recovery,’ the company said in the statement.

‘The global spread of the Corona virus presents us all with unprecedented challenges. In these extraordinary and unpredictable times, the Mühlbauer Group’s main priority is it to support its customers around the world while protecting all our employees, partners, clients and associates.

‘The impact of the Corona virus to businesses and to communities is still unpredictable. Always keeping in mind, the health of our employees, customers and business partners, we make every effort to maintain our business operations and, most important, that of our customers.

‘All our international plants and offices are operational; Mühlbauer’s high degree of vertical integration enables us to support you with our fullest commitment. Our teams all around the world do everything possible to support our partners and clients in these challenging times.

‘We closely monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis and adapt our operations accordingly. To serve the needs of all our clients, we will take all necessary actions to keep our supply chains intact and our production processes fully functional.

‘Being an entrepreneur means taking responsibilities. This general principle has guided Mühlbauer through almost 40 years of company history – and now it has more meaning than ever.

‘We are convinced that as reliable and supportive partners we will master this challenging time together. We will constantly be available for you, via phone calls, video conferencing and emails. Please do not hesitate to address any needs and concerns you may have.

‘Thank you for your continued trust in the Mühlbauer Group. We wish you and your families all the best! Please take care to stay safe and healthy.’

‘During these uncommon Covid-19 circumstances, a lot of sectors are at full speed to help, to care and to supply for people all around the world. Being part of the supply chain for supermarkets, the whole Multi-Color team is doing its' utmost to keep production up and running. A big shout out to all of our colleagues who make this happen, even in these extraordinary times.’

‘With 60 years of experience, the Nikka group knows about mastering critical situations. We have taken immediate measures to protect our employees, their families and our customers and to limit the spread of the virus. Many of us work from home, but production continues, and most projects are on time. We have built inventory for critical parts and are constantly monitoring the supply situation,’ said the company in a statement.

‘Our remote and assistance services are handling support requests (support@nikka-research.com) and we are also mastering various teleconferencing technologies.

‘The Nikka Research team is committed to work with you during these difficult times and keeps your production and development projects running. We hope that we will all be able to see each other in person and shake hands again soon. Stay healthy and safe.’

‘The COVID-19 remains a rapidly developing and unforeseen global health crisis. As a reaction, Nilpeter carefully follows the directions and recommendations of local authorities. All Nilpeter facilities around the world are still operating with ongoing production, observing local government and health services guidelines. Spare parts handling is fully active in normal opening hours, and customer care is performing 24/7 remote support and troubleshooting from all global call centers,’ stated the company.

‘All inquiries for visits in our Technology Centers in Denmark, USA, Thailand, Brazil, and India are welcomed and handled in compliance with local travel regulations. Our focus is to achieve “business as usual" with the health and well-being of our employees and partners safe and secure under current conditions in all markets. For inquires please contact your local Nilpeter Partner.’

‘In view of the circumstances caused by the Coronavirus in many countries, we have taken proactive actions across our business to protect our employees, customers and business partners. Whilst these actions create challenges in our day-to-day business, our team in Southeast Asia is committed to delivering products, services and customer support to the best of our ability,’ the company said in a statement.

‘As we follow guidance from the respective public health authorities in Southeast Asia, we have also taken the following actions to mitigate risks. As of the beginning of March, manufacturing capacity has improved. We are working towards increasing production and prioritizing the delivery of shipments. We may still face some difficulties with regards to local transportation, logistics and cooperating suppliers, nevertheless based on our assessment of the current situation, and barring any country or place that has ordered restricted movement or freshly imposes new or additional rules related to the virus situation, generally we do not expect much impact on our customers. Rest assured, we will work closely with our international and domestic shipping partners to expedite shipments. Together with our partners, our team in Southeast Asia will aim to ensure minimum or no disruption to our customers’ operations, planning and orders.

‘All non-essential business travel via air, has been prohibited. Where if it is enforced by local laws, or where our own operations would not be affected, some employees will be required to work remotely from home. Where it is practicable, the physical distance between our employees’ workstations in the office has been increased. Employees have also been reminded to practice social responsibility by observing good personal hygiene, monitoring their own health conditions and to seek medical advice if they are feeling unwell.

‘The safety and security of our employees, customers, and business partners is a top priority as we face up to the challenges of the Coronavirus and its impact on our work and personal lives. The situation is still fluid, so please contact your OKI representative if you have questions or need any assistance. All our employees are contactable by phone and/or e-mail.’

Following the coronavirus emergency and the consequent restrictive measures adopted by the Italian Government to limit the spread of the virus, Omet has taken the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of its employees and collaborators.

The production department and customer service continue to work regularly with precautions. All the office personnel have been enabled for smart working, allowing Omet to guarantee answers and information with standard times.

Demos of Omet machines for customers are conducted live on-demand through specific online platforms.

In Lombardy, there are currently no restrictions on exportations, but the departure of Italian citizens to other countries is banned. For this reason, Omet has asked technicians of the representative offices located around the world to intervene for installations or repairs at customer sites.

‘We are very impressed with all the support and concern messages we have received from our customers, partners and associates from all over the world, and we thank you for your thoughts and best wishes,’ the company said in the statement. ‘We answer with the same wishes, hoping that this global emergency can be overcome in a short time. Please be understanding and take care.’

To support demand for the company’s products and services, Omron has taken actions to maintain some of its manufacturing operations to support life science industry customers with critical needs in lab automation and the production of test-kits and vaccines.

Omron facilities have taken measures to ensure safety is a top priority. Where employees cannot work remotely, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment measures have been implemented. These include installation of physical barriers, employee temperature checks, shift adjustments, physical distancing, good hygiene practices and regular work area sanitization. The company has also implemented enhanced paid leave policies.

‘Employee safety is our top priority at all times,’ said Jim Eberhart, president and chief operating officer of Omron Management Center of America. ‘We are mindful of safety at our manufacturing facilities across the Americas during this time and we are taking extra steps to help keep our people and their families safe and healthy.’

‘PCMC remains committed to the safety of our team members, customers, vendors and our communities. We are concerned about Covid-19 and continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines and government recommendations. We have taken steps across our company to mitigate risk to our associates through work-from-home programs and social distancing,’ said Stan Blakney, PCMC president.

‘Given the fluid nature of this pandemic, we realize it creates potential uncertainty about service, production and deliverables, which is why we are updating you on our current state of operations and how we are adapting to this rapidly changing business climate.

‘By adopting a forward-looking purchasing strategy based on multiple sourcing, we have minimized the risk of bottlenecks in the supply of parts for our equipment. We are actively tracking the impact across our extended supplier network and taking proactive measures to ensure the availability of parts globally. Our phone lines are open for rapid response, and in many cases, we’re still shipping parts within 24 hours.

‘We remain as committed as ever to providing outstanding customer service to meet your expectations. That includes honoring all delivery and shipping commitments. This commitment, however, is dependent upon a number of factors outside of our control including, regulations and restrictions enacted by the relevant authorities with jurisdiction over each part of the supply chain. Additionally, we are confronted with restrictions in air traffic and sea freight, resulting in flights being cancelled or delays in customs clearance.

'Consequences of this reality include capacity bottlenecks at our logistics partners – which in the worst-case scenario can also lead to delays in transport. Nonetheless, we are actively working with all of our supply chain and logistics partners to minimize the consequences of these potential complications.

‘If you have any questions about your current project status or the status of planned or already dispatched shipments, please reach out to your PCMC point of contact for a specific update.

‘Our global field service team is ready and prepared to support customers within their region, as long as government-mandated travel restrictions do not prohibit their travel. In addition, our Accelerate team is ready to support customers remotely through our newest video conferencing technology. This has allowed us to get customers running quickly without a technician visit.

‘If you have any further questions, please contact a PCMC team member for assistance.’

‘We are currently facing a truly unprecedented situation. During this time, I want to update you on how we are approaching the situation at Phoseon Technology. The global Covid-19 pandemic is affecting all our families, our businesses, our communities and our way of life. We are focused on the health and safety of our employees, customers, partners and communities,’ said Bill Cortelyou, President and CEO, Phoseon Technology.

‘Phoseon is categorized as an essential business and will continue to operate. Phoseon manufactures a wide range of ultraviolet LED products for industrial curing and life sciences that support critical sectors. We serve a number of important industries that support production of much needed supplies and processes such as: manufacture of labels and packaging for medical devices, medical supplies, food, beverages, and others.

‘Here is what we are doing to combat the current crisis. Phoseon is working closely with interested parties to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak through the appropriate use of our UV LED technology for reducing pathogens and inactivating viruses. Together with individual researchers and scientists, Phoseon is focused on contributing our disinfection expertise and resources to help researchers and hospitals fighting Covid-19. Phoseon has received numerous inquiries regarding disinfection methods for personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks for safe reuse and is giving proper and realistic feedback to the interested parties ensuring that there is valid information available.

‘If anyone is interested in novel coronavirus research or testing, Phoseon offers a wide range of UVC LED lamps (278nm) for virus inactivation and pathogen research. These lamps are available in various sizes for easy integration.’

‘Even though the coronavirus arrived in Germany a few weeks ago, the situation is still dynamic. Polar reacted immediately and asked all employees who returned from risk areas to stay at home. In areas where it is possible, the company has switched to home-office in order to reduce the number of contact points. Until further notice, meetings will take place in a digital environment via audio or video conference. Since these technologies have been in use for a long time, not much adjustment was necessary. All contacts from the various administrative areas, especially from customer service, spare parts, and technical service can thus continue to be reached unchanged,’ said company in a statement.

‘Production is working at a satisfactory capacity for the near future. The warehouse stock for production is solid.

‘Polar’s management continues to monitor and re-evaluate the situation closely, as it changes almost every day. Of course, the company follows the guidelines of the authorities in order to ensure that the health and well-being of its employees are protected at all times. Should a change in the evaluated situation lead to measures that are expected to affect partners and customers, POLAR will inform accordingly at the given time.

‘International cooperation is currently difficult because a pandemic is always a global crisis. Many ports around the world are experiencing container congestion. However, the remaining ongoing discussions with customers about exciting projects paint a generally optimistic picture about the future, despite the current difficult phase of the global economy.’

‘I hope that this letter finds all you, your colleagues and families healthy and safe,’ said Pete Byam, president of Polymag Tek. ‘I am writing this letter to alleviate any fears that you may be experiencing with respect to Polymag Tek’s ability to supply your products in the timely, customer service focused manner that you have always been accustomed. We have enacted our Business Continuity Plan during this critical time, so that we comply with all of the CDC, Federal, State and Local guidelines and mandates. This is so that we can continue to provide all of the products and services that you have purchased from Polymag Tek in the past. Our front office is currently closed, with all office staff working remotely from home, so we are asking that you help us, to service you, by sending all correspondence to the following email address: sales@polymagtek.com

‘Correspondence refers to all inquiries, RFQ’s, technical questions and purchase orders. Please do not fax any orders as this could cause a delay in our response time. Even if you have corresponded with a particular individual in the past, we ask that you use the aforementioned email address for all of the correspondence listed above. We will then direct the correspondence to the proper individual(s), and/or website links.

‘There is no disruption to our manufacturing capability or capacity, as we are still fully staffed and operating in a safe, social-distancing mode according to all CDC, Federal, State and Local guidelines and mandates. With this in mind, you should expect the same shipping lead times that you have received in the past. Our supply chain is strong, and we feel confident that you will experience no decline in our service.

‘I hope that I have been able to provide you with some comfort with respect to Polymag Tek’s ability to provide you with the products and services that you require in a timely manner.’

PPC Flexible Packaging will continue its manufacturing operations during the global Covid-19 pandemic, as validated by the US Department of Homeland Security that permits essential businesses to operate in support of critical infrastructure stability. In PPC’s case, this infrastructure includes ‘healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply’.

‘We want our customers to know that all six of our US domestic plants are operating at their normalized full production schedules. We are in daily contact with our raw material suppliers to ensure continuity of supply,’ explained Kevin Keneally, president and CEO of PPC Flexible Packaging. ‘We will stand ready to serve our customer’s needs at this time of increased demand from consumers and retailers.’

Through these challenging times, the company continues to be focused on its first key principle, the safety of its employees. PPC has enacted strict new protocol, in accordance with the CDC, at each manufacturing facility focused on the protection of its workforce. In addition, all employees who are able to work from home have now made that transition.

‘Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, PPG’s focus has been to keep our people safe while meeting our customers’ needs. We continuously strive to partner with our customers to create mutual value and help them succeed. The last few months have given us a greater opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to "protecting and beautifying the world," as "protect" is taking on more significance to all of us - protecting our people, our customers and our communities,’ stated the company.

‘We value the opportunity to work with you, as we understand the essential role our products play in a wide range of important industries. Our PPG Teslin label and packaging solutions are used for life-critical products in health care, hospitals, chemicals, supply chain, food and beverage, agriculture, electronics and many others. We are honored and proud to partner with you to create the products that people count on.

‘All of PPG’s specialty coatings and materials facilities that support our Teslin label and packaging solutions remain open and operating, in light of the measures taken by governments to curb the spread of the virus.

‘As you may appreciate, the pandemic has affected the way the industry supply chain operates. We are responding to these unpredictable market conditions by: working to maintain levels of inventory and production where customer demand exists; adjusting manufacturing output to adapt to the industry situation; continually monitoring the market and maintaining close contact with our customers and suppliers to ensure that we can be ready to ramp up production when demand improves.

‘For essential personnel working in our production, R&D and laboratory environments, we are employing site-specific health and safety measures such as split shifts, social distancing and other tools, which have been used successfully at PPG locations around the world to keep our people safe. At all sites, employees that do not need to be physically present at a work location in order to perform the essential tasks of their jobs were directed to work remotely.

‘While the health and safety of our employees, customers and stakeholders remains the highest priority and a core value for PPG, we also recognize the Covid-19 pandemic is significantly affecting the global economy. We remain focused on the present but also have one eye on a sustainable future when we get to “business as usual”.’

‘Prairie State Group is a strategically significant piece of the food supply chain. Now more than ever, our ability to efficiently manufacture safe food packaging and labels is critical. As of Friday (3/20) we were running food packaging and labels on all six presses. As of this morning (3/22) we are running food packaging and labels on five presses, with the other press running high-barrier film for concentrated cleaning solutions.

‘Our commitment to prioritizing jobs in this time is crucial. We'll all get through this soon!’

‘In a time when uncertainty leads nowhere, we at Prati Company welcome this opportunity to let our stakeholders know exactly where we stand and how we are able to support them as closely as before, using strategies to ensure the same standard of service and partnership,’ the company stated.

‘We wish to reassure our partners and customers worldwide that all the necessary measures have been taken to safeguard the health of our office employees and the men and women working in production. To start with, we promptly reorganized production shifts and enabled office staff to work smartly in remote.

‘Acting with efficiency, we are confidently responding to the new scenario and maintaining production, shipping spare parts, providing remote technical assistance and installation services.

‘Despite postponement of DRUPA to 2021, this move on developing new solutions and pursue the innovations that we are already working on, in typical Prati tradition. We are also implementing digital tools and channels to present the latest products, services and technologies as they are released.

‘In conclusion, we are fully open and operative for business and available via all the online channels as usual, so please feel free to contact us and we respond to all your needs. In view of the situation, which is likely to continue over the coming weeks, maybe months, we happily encourage our customers to stay in touch with us and with our distributors in order to maintain the excellent collaboration we have been enjoying so far.

‘Wishing our customers, partners, suppliers and all their families a safe and healthy future.’

‘As a designated essential business during the Covid-19 pandemic, our goal at Precision AirConvey Corporation is to work so that we can continue to serve and supply our customers which include the food, beverage, medicine, pharmaceutical, medical equipment and numerous in-demand products for consumers and businesses. We are taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of our employees during this time. As an integral part of the supply chain, we will do what is needed to meet customer expectations while maintaining our ability to address the needs of our customers. Please reach out to us with questions, recommendations and requests concerning your needs at this time. www.precisionairconvey.com or call us at 302-999-8000,’ stated the company.

Pulse Roll Label Products has been experiencing unparalleled demand for its narrow web printing inks, varnishes and coatings during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of its customers print labels and packaging for food, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and other essential consumer goods. As an ink manufacturer, the company continues to play a crucial part in the packaging and label printing supply chain to ensure that supermarket shelves remain well-stocked.

Gary Seward, managing director of Pulse Roll Label Products said: ‘We remain open for business, are fully operational and complying with all the necessary measures to fight Covid-19. Employee health and safety is our highest priority and we have strict hygiene and social distancing measures in place to keep our staff safe whilst they do an outstanding job to keep the supply chain moving. These are unprecedented times, but the teamwork and commitment shown by our staff has been truly exceptional. We are working closely with our customers, suppliers and partners to ensure that we get through this challenging period together.’

‘In these uncertain times, the safety and well-being of our customers and employees remains our top priority. As the coronavirus continues to affect our communities, we want to assure you that we have taken immediate steps to keep our customers and employees safe and healthy,’ said Howard Shen, director of overlamination products at QSPAC Industries.

‘Our teams are closely following the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization, and other local and national health organizations. All QSPAC operations (Santa Fe Springs CA, Aurora IL, Monroe NC) remain open to support our customers. We have increased our inventory levels and production capacity to meet the demands from the essential products industries.

‘Thank you for being part of our QSPAC family and trusting us with all your laminating needs. We remain committed to the safety and well-being of you and your loved ones. We will get through this challenge together.’

Arconvert and Ritrama are committed to supporting the health sector and the supply of essential necessities throughout the course of this pandemic, and to provide continuity of its service.

‘In an unprecedented global crisis such as the one we are now facing because of Covid-19, Fedrigoni Group is committed to ensuring continuity of service and protecting the supply chain of essential necessities. From the beginning of the emergency, Arconvert and Ritrama have been operating fully, without interruptions, to serve the food and pharmaceutical industries and the health sector, while working tirelessly to protect the health and safety of our people,’ the company stated.

The Fedrigoni Group has been ensuring the strictest level of compliance with all governmental guidelines and has introduced some extra measures to further improve the safety of all its employees: use of remote working, video conferencing instead of face-to-face all meetings, safety distances between colleagues in all workspaces and common areas, infrared temperature-testing to all staff at the entrance of factories and offices, restrictions for visitors and external suppliers. Additionally, the sanitization activities of all environments have been intensified.

Arconvert and Ritrama mainly produce self-adhesive materials for the labeling industry serving large-scale distribution to food, pharmaceutical and logistics sectors among others. As such the Arconvert-Ritrama products are a vital component in supporting the supply chain of critical items such as drugs and hospital devices, IV and plasma bags, as well as test tubes and products for the sanitation of environments.

Arconvert and Ritrama are constantly assessing the situation as it evolves and are adjusting operations to secure the entire value chain, from the stock management and flexibility of their plants, to supply chain management (including securing the services of alternative drivers should our current suppliers fail to meet our demand).

‘We are grateful for the privilege of being able do our part in this difficult moment, and we take this responsibility very seriously, both as an organization and as individuals. We strongly believe that, with everyone's commitment, we will win this momentous battle, together,’ said the company.

‘Covid-19 is presenting extreme challenges for the UK and the rest of the world and we find ourselves in unprecedented times. We want to play our part in contributing to help stop the spread of this virus and the safety and wellbeing of our staff, suppliers and customers are at the core of any decisions we make. Taking the advice of the Government announcements, we have made the very difficult decision to temporarily suspend production and close our factory. We feel that this is the right thing to do,’ said Tom Kerchiss, managing director of RK PrintCoat Instruments.

‘Our sales and technical team remain operational remotely from their homes to maintain and continue to offer our high level of service and support as needed during this temporary hiatus. Please direct any questions or queries to our sales team at sales@rkprint.com. We will continue to monitor daily updates from the UK Government, with a view to re-opening as soon as possible and when it becomes safe to do so.

‘We would like to thank our customers for their patience and our employees for their dedication and support during these challenging times.’

UPDATE

‘After some changes to our working practices, our factory is now open and manufacture of RK equipment resumed. The safety and the wellbeing of our staff remains our priority, and measures have been implemented to ensure physical distancing throughout our production facility,’ said Tom Kerchiss, managing director of RK PrintCoat Instruments.

‘These changes allow us to continue to supply all our customers, including those who offer essential services such as label manufacturers and packaging for the food and medical industries.

‘Our office-based sales and technical team remain operational remotely from their homes to maintain and continue to offer our high level of service and support as needed during these challenging times.

‘We will continue to closely monitor daily updates to the UK Government guidelines. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and our employees for their dedication and support during these challenging times. Please direct any questions or queries to our sales team at sales@rkprint.com.’

‘Under the mandate, Quantum Design and our product lines identified below are considered an essential business and will continue to operate as normal to offer services for our customer who provide essential services to the community,’ the company stated.

‘Quantum Design supplies machinery, spare parts and services to companies in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, agriculture, aerospace, wastewater, personal protective equipment and many other essential industries. As such a supplier, Quantum Design will remain open during the current shelter in place order.

‘Our company will continue to provide on-site and remote service, spare parts, controls engineering services, control panel fabrication and machines to customers in need. If you require a formal letter from Quantum Design stating our essential status, please let us know.

‘We are taking the mandate very seriously for the safety of our employees, suppliers and customers. Some of our employees will be working remote if they are able, but many will continue to work from our facility using preventive measures.

‘If you are in need of our services during this time, we will work to get you accommodated as quickly as possible. We greatly appreciate your continued business and will work hard to continue to meet all of your needs during this time. Please contact us with any questions at servicerequest@quantumdi.com; parts@quantumdi.com; qdisales@quantumdi.com or give us a call at 815-885-1300.

‘In addition, please continue to contact your usual sales contacts. Email and voicemail will be checked regularly, and phones will be transferred to cell phones for those working remotely.’

‘As the Covid-19 emergency continues to change and evolve globally, Re is always careful to operate at maximum safety and according to national health standards. Despite our company is located in Lombardy, one of the most affected Italian regions, we continue to operate and guarantee the greatest possible efficiency at the moment for our customers,’ said the company in a statement.

‘Our main priority is to ensure the health and safety of our entire team and their families. Everyone in Re, from those who work in the offices, to production, shipping and warehouse, work in total safety for health. First of all, we educated our employees to hygiene standards, and then we enabled Smart Working to almost all staff in the offices in record time. The productions, assistance and shipments, equipped with all security measures, are working at full speed to guarantee the best for our customers. We are very proud of our team.

‘We are looking at this moment of enormous difficulty as a challenge and a way to improve ourselves and better prepare for the future; and customers are giving us their trust and sending us messages of encouragement.

‘I also want to say that the property has also shown a great sensitivity towards the emergency situation offering a concrete contribution for those who are facing the health emergency by donating a significant economic contribution to support the realization of new beds in ICU (Intensive care) of the Fondazione Poliambulanza Hospital in Brescia, one of the two hospitals in the city and among the most affected in Italy.’

‘Retroflex remains open for business and is fully functional during this critical time. We continue to provide equipment, parts, services and support to essential companies, particularly those in the food and medical industry,’ said the company in a statement.

‘Our team has been instructed to follow the 6-feet social distancing rule and we have also instructed our team members to keep in touch with the CDC and state of Wisconsin websites and follow their current recommendation relative to Covid-19. We have increased disinfection procedures and have taken recommended steps internally to reduce person to surface contact.

‘Sales and service are restricted from travel unless it is truly business critical/essential for our customers. Even then we will work closely with our clients to exhaust all other possible means of support before any travel is approved. Visitors or suppliers to Retroflex are by appointment only. We have a questionnaire that they must complete and have approved in writing by Retroflex prior to letting anyone enter our facility.

‘We have the ability to have certain team members work remotely if needed in order to provide a seamless supply of equipment, parts and service. We have secured letters from our key suppliers assuring us that they will remain open and provide us with the support we need to assist you. Since changes are ongoing globally if there are any unforeseen disruptions, we will pass that information on to our clients as soon as possible.

‘Retroflex can conduct business with our customers via phone, email, teleconference and video conferencing depending on the level of support your company needs. We are here to help you in any way we can. Together we will get through this.’

‘The global spread of the corona virus also confronts the Rheintacho Group with new challenges. Our focus is currently to protect our staff, customers and business partners. We have taken certain measures to minimize potential effects of the Covid-19. We have informed our staff, customers and business partners as detailed as possible for us. By creating interdisciplinary work groups, we want to achieve fast communication and implementation of decided measures,’ the company stated.

‘Hygienic measures have been intensified and company-wide, continuously updated information about precautionary measures to prevent infection is ensured. This includes strict hygienic and behavioral rules, a general travel ban and a significant decrease in physical meetings.

‘All employees have been asked to check postponing appointments by communicating with customers in order to reduce personal contacts. For the time being we have cancelled all trade fair visits and activities. All direct contacts should be changed to alternative, digital possibilities or postponed. In addition, all physical contact (e.g. shaking hands) is to be avoided.

‘Unregistered visitors will not be allowed to enter. And in general, we will only allow visits case to case if they by no means can be postponed. These appointments are to be explicitly coordinated and approved by the internal contact persons.

‘Our special work group meets regularly to evaluate the current developments, and this enable us to react as quickly as possible. The delivery of our products is presently not impaired by the effects of the Covid-19 virus. Hence, today, both production and delivery in general are ensured. Due to the special dynamics of this situation, we are observing any developments and possible effects on our business very closely. If the situation changes in any way, we will contact any affected customers directly.’

‘Faced with the threat of Covid-19, which we started to manage two weeks ago at Rieusset, as in the entire Gerosa Group, we have activated our contingency plans and we are applying all the necessary measures to guarantee the health of our employees and their families as we continue to serve our customers,’ said Jordi López, general manager at Rieusset.

‘To date we have maintained our dull operations, and through the crisis committee we are monitoring the evolution of the health of our employees and their families as well as the effectivity of the measures we are taking. The level of service we are receiving from our suppliers is also assessed daily, so that, if necessary, we may take the necessary actions to avoid affecting our customers.

‘The measures regarding personal hygiene, cleaning common areas, the use of face masks and gloves, the control of the number of people in confined spaces, keeping a distance of at least 2 meters, not receiving external visitors, the daily inventory of protection elements (face masks, gloves, hydroalcoholic gel, disinfectant) together with teleworking, video meetings and the schedule change for office personnel, have become routines which we have accepted in order to protect ourselves and protect others so that this infection does not spread further.

‘We acknowledge the effort being made by the workers of Rieusset and of the Gerosa Group to keep our activity going, as well as that of all the people who take part in the supply chain and especially that of the medical personnel who are putting in so much effort to take care of the sick,’ concluded López.

'Amidst the nationwide cautionary shutdown of many commercial industries, we will remain in operation during this time. We are part of the supply chain of many converters considered essential operations. We will do our best to support our customers that are working to maintain the supply of essential products to the healthcare facilities and food providers,’ stated the company.

‘If you need any assistance with regards to our products and services contact us through our website, call our office at 888-290-3215, or email us at experts@r2r.tech. As an added aid to our customers we would like to extend terms of net 60 for a limited time on new purchases to those that currently have net 30 conditions.

‘With this in mind we hope everyone stays safe. Follow the recommendations of the CDC and experts in the field. Keep safe distance when in public. Wash your hands with soap regularly. If you are in a non-essential industry, commercial, non-profit, or educational field, remain at home as much as possible.'

Roland recognizes the challenges many people across the industry are currently facing. The future may feel uncertain, and in many cases, business has slowed down. Roland DG supports all decisions taken to cancel or postpone trade events in order to better protect the safety of all those participating but is also aware that this step means reduced access to information, education and support.

‘Roland will ensure we stay connected to all our partners wherever they are. Our team of experts is ready to engage with our community via our many social media platforms and directly, via the We Are Here webpage,’ the company said in a statement. ‘Individuals need only fill in a form on the website to let us know about immediate needs or requests and we'll respond to them. New FAQs and maintenance how-tos will be made available to assist any users experiencing downtime.

‘Business can be nurtured in different ways. It's important to always look forward and decide how we can improve our professional lives and embrace the future once these difficult periods have passed. We'll be delivering a fresh and extensive range of webinars, online tutorials and digital content on a range of technologies and applications to help educate and inspire our customers. Specialists from across Roland, including the Roland Academy, will be available to answer questions in interactive sessions.

‘As businesses begin to rebuild following these unprecedented and unpredictable times, Roland DG will continue to invigorate the world of digital print with initiatives and products. We will help our customers to maximize the potential of their existing technology and give honest advice on complementary systems that may help them succeed in new markets in the future.’

'During the coronavirus situation, our primary concern is the well-being of our employees and customers, in adherence with government and WHO guidelines. We are maintaining full production and have implemented home offices for employees where possible. Until we can resume face-to-face customer meetings, we are available to meet with you over Skype, WhatsApp and all other media, and provide virtual demonstrations of our finishing machines.

‘For service related or general inquiries, reach us at +49 (0) 4154 70940-0, +1 920 468-5475 or info@rotocontrol.com. We wish you and your family good health.

While information about Covid-19 has been rampant in recent weeks, the SixB Labels family has issued a statement it hopes is useful for business at this challenging time.

‘We are in contact with our major suppliers, and as of today, there have been no shortages or delays due to the Covid-19. All of our raw materials are manufactured and coated in the United States. All of the factories are operating at normal capacity,’ the company states. ‘Our business contingency plans have long included training a majority of our personnel in different areas to be able to cover for different individuals. Being a small company of only 45 employees, this has been our practice since our inception in 1979.

‘We are also postponing having visitors at our facility by working with suppliers via phone or videoconferencing; and being available for customer support via phone, email or chatbox on our site, as well as arranging for samples to be delivered via courier or overnight mail.

‘While our team members are working to ensure continuity of service during this time, their health and safety are our highest priority. Our facility is cleaned daily and areas with more points of contact are disinfected several times a day. Those who feel sick are strongly encouraged to stay home, utilizing paid sick leave. Simultaneously, we are continuing to follow guidance and recommendations from municipal public health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.’

‘Sato America feels that transparency is vital in communicating our ongoing efforts to ensure the health and safety of our employees as well as the communities in which we work and live,’ we read in the company statement. ‘In response to the on-going global concerns related to Covid-19, we want to assure our customers that Sato America maintains a robust business continuity plan to ensure that we deliver uninterrupted service and an exceptional experience to our customers and partners during this time.

‘Our strategy ensures that all business-critical functions of the organization continue without delay. As of today, we have restricted work-related travel, instituted best practices to allow telecommuting for non-business critical operations, and plan to adhere to the recommended social distancing inside our facilities. We look forward to continuing to provide you with our Sato value-added services; our service teams are still providing critical customer support functions. Our account managers, application engineers, technical support, and customer service teams are currently available through their regular phone numbers and e-mail as well as video conferences. Allowing our teams to assist you in continuing to conduct business and help solve issues that might arise during this unforeseen situation at hand.

‘We are continually monitoring our supply chains for potential impact. As of now, Sato America is not directly affected as there have been no closures or suspension of the production of Sato products. We have a full stock of inventory of products at our facility and through our distribution channels. We know that Sato products are vital now more than ever for customers in the healthcare, supply chain, warehouse, transportation, and food safety sectors. Sato America truly values your partnership. We will continue to provide our customers with superior customer service that you depend on during these uncertain times.’

Shaanxi Mingyan resumed business on Mar 1 and now all employees back at work: ‘We are the first batch companies to resume operations in Shaanxi province. We had reserves of masks in warehouse, and most of our employees are local. Before returning to work all our employees undergo nucleic acid tests for coronavirus under the arrangement of local government, which fully supported resuming our operations,’ said Qiu Mingwei, Shaanxi Mingyan general manager.

‘Raw material supply and transportation, which we were anxious about are now back to normal operation, so normal production didn’t suffer too much impact. However, some customers haven’t yet resumed operations, particularly wine brands which downscale due to the epidemic, we have resumed only 80 percent of our capacity. Additionally, we have purchased 360 pieces 3M 1860 surgical N95 mask and donated to Wuhan Central Hospital, the epicenter of this epidemic,’ added Mingwei.

‘In the recent years we have been growing steadily achieving RMB 10 million turnover in 2019. We predict a low season in 2020 after businesses will resume operations and our business might have some additional changes to adapt to the situation. However, we believe the market for label products is still very strong and we are confident we can overcome this unprecedent pandemic crisis.’

'These are unsettling times for the printing and packaging industry companies in Europe and on a global scale. Covid-19 situation has affected the entire industry and while the majority of digital and commercial print companies are under enormous strain of the unknown, awaiting for this health crisis to pass to be able to resume their work, flexo and packaging companies experience the increase in new orders that require a rapid response for the demanding consumer market.

‘To keep up with the demand without compromising the safety, the companies took precautionary measures to safeguard the health of employees through the protective garments and masks also by keeping the required distances and sanitizing workstations. Flexo and packaging companies are also faced with the raw material shortage as the market now sets first-come-first-serve basis, especially solvents are they are used for disinfectants and huge restrictions and costs in terms of logistics.

‘Whatever these unprecedented events might leave the industry at, it is critical that we all take the measures and prepare the companies for what lies ahead. With the help of Sistrade MIS|ERP system, the strategy for future work can be developed already now, by making sure that the office work can be done remotely, that the clients can reach the companies online, by increasing the monitoring of the shop floor and warehouse, and reducing the physical contact on the shop floor by the means of equipment and digital job orders.

‘Embracing digital disruption both in terms of technologies and in terms of change in the business models can be the answer to the industry, taking smart measures for a smarter and safer factory.’

‘Our personal and professional lives are dealing with an unprecedent challenge that we are facing with the deepest sense of care and responsibility. Our thoughts are with all our employees, customers, distributors, and partner in all countries who are facing a difficult period and our focus is concentrated on health security and service continuity,’ stated the company.

‘The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in all countries and has now a severe impact on everyone business activity, with government’s restrictions applied in several countries. In accordance with the French safety recommendations, Smag has decided to reduce temporarily its production capacity and adopted the reduction of working time to fulfill the highest standards of health security for our employees, and so moved into its minimum production level. Therefore, a turnover based special task force has been put in place to keep all Smag’s competences active in a compact team, ensuring what most matter to our customers during this period: service and spare parts.

‘We constantly monitor the situation and will adapt ourselves to a global necessity to stop the spreading of coronavirus, doing our best during this difficult period and standing together and strong. We highly believe that the period following the pandemic will need a strong involvement of all the market players to re-energize the industry, with positive and innovative ideas, also taking advantages of the learnings received during the last weeks.’

‘As a supplier of labels for vital consumer packaged goods, Steinhauser has been monitoring Covid-19 closely, with the impact to supply chain in mind. We have taken all precautions to protect our employees and continue to serve our customers who rely on our services to stock retailer shelves with products so desperately needed during this time.

‘Our suppliers have assured us that they can continue to supply us with materials needed to continue manufacturing labels. We are in constant contact with them and are monitoring the situation closely.

‘Because we are small, we are agile. At this point, we have no concerns about being able to continue being a reliable link in the supply chain. We also have strong contingency partners. If your pressure sensitive or shrink sleeve label printing business has been impacted by this pandemic and you are beyond your capacity, Steinhauser may be able to help. Consider us as an option for your contingency plan. If we band together, we will get through this.’

‘In light of recent events surrounding Covid-19, we wanted to let you know what StickerGiant is doing to ensure the safety of our employees, our customers, and our community. Some of us who are able to work from home will be doing so to reduce the risk of spreading germs; those who are going into the office/production space are utilizing sanitation methods in their workspace, and finally those who need to stay home because their children’s school has been closed will have the ability to do so with pay.

‘We are taking this news day by day. However, all tours of the StickerGiant facility are canceled until further notice; we are requesting that if customers normally come to pick up their orders in person that they reconsider switching to free shipping, and we are allowing any and all Giants who need to stay home to do so in order to keep themselves, their family, and their community safe.

‘We are grateful for you, StickerGiant family. Let’s remember to be kind – this is a great moment to stick together (even if we’re utilizing social distancing).’

As Covid-19 spreads, Sun Chemical continues to monitor the changing economic landscape and the impact to its global supply chain. In response, Sun Chemical has issued the following statement from Jeffrey Shaw, chief supply chain officer.

‘While some regions in the world continue to improve, other regions are facing unprecedented challenges. At Sun Chemical, we continue to monitor our global supply chain, proactively manage each of our sites and warehouses, and frequently communicate with our supply base.

‘At this time, our manufacturing and warehouse sites continue to operate, raw materials continue to flow, and logistics providers continue to ship materials in a timely manner," he adds. "With new governmental regulations enforced and varying restrictions in place around the world, we continue to work with all our stakeholders to make sure the fulfillment process works in an undisrupted manner.

‘We have a vast global network in place to manage these changes and an integrated supply chain approach. Inventory levels remain in place while we continue to fulfill customer orders. In the event of further changes, we will work with customers to make sure we provide the best level of service,’ concluded Shaw.

'The coronavirus affects us all and considerably restricts us in our daily activities, both regarding private and business matters. The health and welfare of our employees, customers and suppliers must be our main priority. We are therefore monitoring the current situation very carefully and pro-actively adapting our measures and activities to any statutory regulations or guidelines and the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and adapt our activities immediately,’ the company stated.

‘Technotrans has adopted a wide range of precautionary measures to minimize the impact on business operations and protect all employees and business partners from COVID 19 infection. These include extensive hygiene measures, greater use of home offices, the conditional introduction of two-shift operation and extensive restrictions on travel. Despite a reduced presence, this has so far enabled us to ensure the operational capability of all locations.

‘Notwithstanding these exceptional circumstances we strive to fulfil your requirements to your full satisfaction. We make every effort to continue to process orders quickly and accurately and to organize the supply chain efficiently. Should the situation change, we will inform you promptly.

‘In the meantime, normality is returning to our Chinese production after the great wave of infection. This shows us that the measures ordered by the German government to reduce social contacts are effective and that, with disciplined behavior, we can put this crisis behind us as quickly as possible.

‘It will take a combined effort to contain the coronavirus and decelerate its spread, so that we can return to normality as quickly as possible and be able to welcome you personally again soon. Until then, stay healthy.’

‘We at Tech Sleeves would like to inform our valued stakeholders about how we will be moving forward in these challenging times. Our main priority remains the health and safety of our employees, customers and partners. We have deployed several safety and health measures to ensure the wellbeing of all involved,’ the company said in a statement.

‘The state of our industry will face unique difficulties as time progresses. Despite this, the packaging industry is one of the industries that must remain active. The requirements for safe and hygienic packaging will only be magnified. Because of this, we have adapted our operations to be able to achieve even shorter lead times and deliver larger quantities.

Our operations will continue unheeded and governed by our safety processes. We are also working on implementing different means both to allow remote access to our sales staff and the quick delivery of all orders. We will be working closely with our partners to achieve maximum efficiency in all of our operations.’

'The year 2020 kicked off with great expectations of new developments arriving for the digital printing industry, and we at Tecnau were eager to show a revolutionary series of solutions at drupa in Germany. Unfortunately, the world has changed in ways hardly anyone imagined, as lives and economies are devastated by the coronavirus pandemic,’ stated the company.

‘These are challenging times for everyone, as we’ve all changed our daily routines to prioritize the ongoing health of each of us and our families. For those of you who have been especially painfully impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak in some way, we share our deepest sympathies.

‘All Tecnau facilities (Ivrea, Italy; Ljungby, Sweden; Billerica, MA, USA) are doing their best to ensure that printing and vital communications will continue without interruptions, as each follows government recommendations & requirements for their respective countries and regions.

‘We also have placed a special focus on our employees to keep them healthy and well-protected during this crisis. Our highest priority is to ensure that we can continue to fulfill customer's needs while adjusting our way of working to protect everyone's safety and avoid further virus spreading. As requested by governments and health officials around the world, we have taken measures to contain this pandemic by implementing precautions, reinforcing hygiene, operating split shifts, and maintaining working distances in production areas. We have completely moved our offices to allow smart working from home as a step to actively fight the virus and keep our people safe.

‘Our team will do its best to continue business as usual so that partners and customers will not be left alone. Parts shipments are continuing to go out as required. We are confident that with remote assistance and our technical expertise, we will be able to cope with the emergency and solve issues that inevitably arise.

‘In the meanwhile, we continue to develop and enhance solutions that will boost applications and open up new business possibilities. For now, let’s keep in touch and maintain connections while staying at home, as we look forward to better days together in the future.’

‘We just wanted to let you know that Tecnocut takes measures to continue working during the Coronavirus emergency. Like many of you, Tecnocut is a part of the packaging supply chain for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, toiletries and cleaning products industries,’ the company said in a statement.

‘We have taken the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of its employees and collaborators. A few of the many security measures that we have taken to continue operating safely include introducing strict hygiene, cleaning and distancing measures to keep our team safe at work; employees work from home wherever possible; checking for daily updates from the government and health and safety authorities to ensure that we are following all relevant guidelines.

‘This will help us to continue providing you with virtual technical support.

‘Our sales team are set up and ready to help with any queries or trouble shooting requests.

‘If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.’

‘As a long-standing business partner to many companies in the Label & Flexible Packaging business, tesa is naturally concerned about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the entire industry,’ said the company in a statement.

‘Over 500 of our employees from product and technology development to marketing and sales support our customers under high pressure to complete time-sensitive projects on time. Still in these difficult times, it is very important to us to work intensively and trustingly on new innovations together with our cooperation partners. After all, we all want to hit the ground running together after the crisis.

‘We currently do not experience any bottlenecks in the production of special adhesive tapes for the label and packaging industry. All tesa plants are operating and producing at their regular high standard. Deliveries are processed on time.’

'Corona didn't arrive just yesterday in Europe. We do not want to talk about the seriousness of the situation, all of us know how serious it is. We want to calm you down.

‘We at theurer.com are here for you!

‘Even if we can't be with you personally, we will try our best to support you virtually. As usual. For questions, problems, or any other related concerns, we are available Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm under the known phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Should you have any further questions, concerns or problems, we are available for you.’

‘We know many of you are assessing the impact and the disruptions caused by this terrible corona virus. We want to inform you of the efforts TTR Euroworks is taking to continue serving you at best,’ we read in the company statement.

‘Like other companies, we are making several adjustments to accommodate precautions against corona virus and some of our employees are working from home. Despite this, our sales managers are available and are actively working and serving your inquiries. Please continue to reach out to them as you normally would.

‘As for our ability to supply you with the products you need, we are pleased to say that our teams have done an excellent job solving most impact from corona to our production operations and that the vast majority of our manufacturing and service sites are online. Where appropriate, we have added production shifts and our employees are working overtime to fulfill your demand.

‘In some cases, however, we are seeing delays in supplier deliveries or logistic flows. Our teams are working hard to minimize these delivery impacts as much as possible. Book your orders in advance to avoid any delays.

‘The safety of our employees and customers is our top priority and we continue to monitor the corona situation globally. As circumstances change, we may reach out with more information or an update. In the meantime, please know that we appreciate your continued support and your business.

‘Wishing you and your family the best of health. We’re looking forward to brighter times and working with you to grow your businesses. Please feel free to contact me directly at any time.’

‘On behalf of everyone at Uninet, we would like to provide you with an update on our business operations, as the situation surrounding Covid-19 continues to evolve,’ said Nestor Saporiti, CEO and president of Uninet. ‘We would like to reiterate our commitment to our customers and our partners from around the world and without a doubt, the health and safety of our employees, their families, and you, our customer, is our primary concern.’

Uninet has been implementing recommended guidelines and orders set forth by local governments and Public Health Agencies in the locations where we operate to minimize risks and to keep our entire community safe. This includes practicing social distancing, suspending travel, and transitioning most of our team members to work remotely.

‘On that premise, at Uninet we will continue to perform vital business functions. Our East and West Coast distribution centers are available to process and ship orders currently subject to change due to City and or State guidelines. Our Customer Support and Sales Teams are available during the hours from: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST time in the West Coast, and from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM EST time in the East Coast, via phone and/or email.

‘We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation closely and will provide you with updates about any new developments as they arise. We understand this is an extraordinarily difficult time for everyone, and we thank you for your patience, support, and understanding as we all work through this difficult situation together. As always, thank you for being part of the Uninet Family. Please continue to take care of yourself and each other,’ concluded Saporiti.

As the global situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, UPM Raflatac has not seen any disruptions to production or its supply chain in the Americas, but the company is taking the potential impacts very seriously. UPM Raflatac's facilities around the Americas, including its factories in North Carolina and Illinois, are continuing to operate as normal.

The company's goal remains, as ever, to support its customers’ businesses to the best of its abilities. According to the US Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies in the countries where the company operates, UPM Raflatac is considered a critical manufacturer because its products support critical industries, including pharmaceutical and healthcare, food and beverage, and logistics, among others. This allows UPM Raflatac to remain open and its operators to come to work despite any shelter-in-place orders in communities where it has manufacturing facilities.

‘Although we have not had any known exposure, we have taken many steps to ensure the health and well-being of our employees, their families and the communities we serve,’ the company stated. ‘These include increased cleanings of our facilities, a restriction on work travel, and requiring employees non-essential to production to work from home until further notice. If we need to temporarily close a facility, we have plans in place to ensure minimal downtime, and will coordinate with our global team and local authorities to resume production as soon and safely as possible.

‘We take great care in managing our business operations to ensure business continuity throughout our global supply chain. We have supply contingency plans in place and maintain buffer stocks in various strategic locations, giving us a high degree of flexibility to service our customers.

‘We thank our employees for their continued hard work and dedication during this unprecedented situation and thank our customers for their support and trust in our business. If any customers have questions or concerns, we invite them to reach out to their sales representatives – we are here to help.

‘While the evolving Covid-19 situation has presented new and unprecedented challenges, Vetaphone is well prepared and responds with the best interest of our employees and customers at heart. We continuously monitor the development of the situation and follow the instructions and recommendations for the health authorities, both globally and locally,’ we read in the statement.

‘As many other companies, we have adopted new ways of working, but the Vetaphone team is, as always, committed to provide all our partners with the best possible service during this period. All our operations are up and running and we continue to support our customers with new projects, current orders and technical support, offering reliability and safety to everyone involved.

‘If there is anything we can assist you with please do not hesitate to contact us and we will respond immediately.’

'We are running so you can relax. From local updates to global Covid-19 numbers we are monitoring it all. We are also taking all the precautions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and good health of all our employees, customer, business partners and the community as a whole,' we read in the company statement.

'Vinsak group assures you and confirms that we are fully operational and are ready to serve and support you just like any other day. These are tough times, but we believe that this has only brought us all a step closer to each other and we are all in this together but this shall pass too. Our team is equipped to work remotely and provide assistance and technical support via Video call, telephonic, email support and even physically wherever possible.

'Globally the government and local authorities are implementing plans to curb the wild spread of the virus and contain it as much as possible – we are following the instructions laid down by the bodies and also request everyone to support these efforts to overcome this critical situation soon.

'So far there has been no disruption in our sales or service and we shall keep our community updated until anything further changes.'

‘The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting people and businesses around the world,’ said Jukka Voutilainen, CEO of Voyantic. ‘We are putting the safety of our employees and customers first, as well as the safety of the people most vulnerable in our society. We have limited traveling, and most of us are working from home – we have only minimum personnel at the office.

‘Meanwhile, Voyantic is fully in business. We are fulfilling orders, making deliveries, and creating new solutions. We have been working hard to develop our supply chain to ensure that we can maintain our delivery times. Our technical team is also fully staffed, supporting customers every day.

‘We are doing our best to minimize the effects of the pandemic for your business, our business and to our employees.’

Weigang located in Weizhou, Zhejiang Province, which is one of the areas with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases resumed operations on February 23, and by March 11, all their employees except those from Hubei province returned to the production lines.

‘At present, the main priority is the wellbeing of our team. Before resuming operations, we compiled new document about emergency prevention and control in the company, prepared enough masks, disinfectant, thermometers and other materials. In addition, all employees from outside the county have to undergo additional testing,’ said Zhou Yue, general manager of Weigang.

‘For Weigang, the total shutdown of Chinese market has delayed shipment of about 70 million orders in February, including foreign orders, which had a direct impact on company’s performance in the first quarter of 2020. The good news is that epidemic in China is now under control, the upstream and downstream suppliers have resumed operations, and we are confident to fully restore productivity in early April.’

‘This epidemic influences a number of brand owners. Some label converters adjusted their product structures, emergency labels, or developed new market business. Especially these whose focus is to export label products, began to explore domestic market. All these will undoubtedly change the pattern of Chinese label printing industry.’

The epidemic is a big test for the whole label printing industry. Weigang's crisis response ability, timely market control, standardized production and processing have been further strengthened this time.

‘The current worldwide development represents a great challenge for all of us, both privately and economically. Right now, our motto ‘You cut, we care’ is especially true. The well-being of our employees, customers and partners always is the priority. At the same time, we do everything to continue to supply you reliably - especially since our tools are also used to a large extent in the food, medical/hygiene and transport sectors,’ stated the company.

‘We already took extensive measures weeks ago and are currently implementing further steps in our multi-stage pandemic plan. These include the strict implementation of all recommended hygiene and disinfection measures, the separation of production areas from other departments, a contactless shift model and the increased use of remote working.

‘We are currently fully capable of production and delivery in all product areas, and our contacts are available at all times - by telephone and online, even from the home offices. However, due to official restrictions and the general situation in the transport sector, there may be restrictions in individual regions with regard to our delivery performance.

‘You can find the latest status of our information online at www.wink.de/corona. We thank you for your understanding and support in these difficult times that we will master together.’

Xeikon reconfirms its dedication to continuing to make critical consumables available for its presses. This enables customers to produce the documentation, labels and packaging required to get food, health and pharmaceutical products to market during the Covid-19 crisis. As widely covered by the media, the coronavirus has impacted the health and well-being of many people in various countries around the world. Many businesses worldwide are impacted by production disturbances, supply and delivery interruptions, and Xeikon is committed to minimizing these for its customers.

‘Many of our customers, particularly converters, are producing essential print such as documentation, labels and packaging for critical items like pharmaceutical products, food for supermarkets, labels for disinfectant bottles, to name but a few, and rely on our solutions to ensure that essential supplies are made available to sick, vulnerable and isolated people,’ said Benoit Chatelard, Xeikon’s president and CEO. ‘In order for them to keep up with production demands during this crisis, they need reliable access to consumables, parts and services from Xeikon, and our entire team is committed to doing its best to ensure a consistent flow of these items. Xeikon has sufficient stock and a stable supply in consumables and spares to support our customers globally. However, as many flights worldwide have been cancelled and as countries enact more restrictions on traffic, we could expect some shipments to take longer than before to be delivered. That being said, we will keep our customers informed of the status of all shipments and requests for service, so they know exactly what to expect.’

Chatelard notes that the company’s priority is to safeguard the health of its employees per World Health Organization and government guidelines, closely followed by implementation of measures to guarantee the continuity of its supply chain and safeguard business continuity for customers.

‘While some cases may require on-site visits from a technician, there is a lot we can do with remote diagnostics and technical support. All our machines are connected and, to a large extent, self-diagnostic. For interactive discussions with customers and prospects, we are investing in tools that allow us to produce virtual demonstrations and testing for customers. We are also closely monitoring the economic impact of the Corona emergency, both to the overall printing industry and for Xeikon’s business,’ added Chaterland.

In addition, in light of the postponement of drupa 2020 to April 2021, Xeikon is revisiting its go-to-market strategy and preparing to be fully ready to deal with both the current crisis and drupa 2021 by continuing to bring to market the innovation that the industry has come to expect from the company.

‘We will be bringing some new products to market prior to drupa, in order to make the latest technology available to our customers. And by drupa 2021, we expect to have even more innovation available to announce and exhibit so customers can be well-prepared for the recovery that is sure to come,’ concluded Chaterland.

‘With the ever-changing situation across the world, daily updates, restrictions and differing actions from various Governments we want to keep our customers and partners informed about the status at Zanders.

‘Inquiries and orders will continue to be processed as usual. We are preparing our team to be able to work from home if necessary and creating teams to split people reducing the risk of all working closely together.

‘Production is running. We are in full operation. All our raw material suppliers are confirming no issues in supply. We are enforcing strict rules within our factory, accepting no visitors unless operational necessity requires it to manage every possible scenario to ensure production continues.

‘Deliveries continue. However, considering the current border restrictions that are being put in place and transport companies may be affected by the virus regarding available staff, there could be longer delivery times in the future. Therefore, we recommend to place orders and/or call off material sooner rather than later. Some carriers have announced general price increases – it may mean we have to consider our pricing in the future to cover new additional costs. We will keep all customers updated on this point.

‘Of course, Zanders is acting in compliance with the orders of the local and national authorities. And we’ll do everything we can to ensure the safety of our own employees as well as those of our customers and business partners. This is our top priority.

‘We will monitor the developments closely and keep all customers and partners further informed.’

‘We hope you, your families, your friends and colleagues are keeping well. The situation regarding Covid-19 presents a great challenge for all of us. As your longstanding supplier of essential products for your business, we are taking all measures to ensure a reliable and continuous supply,’ the company stated.

‘We remain at full production whilst taking all precautions to keep our staff safe. Our forwarders are also still operating as per usual. Pick-ups and deliveries can take place as before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Labels & Labeling global editorial team covers every corner of the world from Europe and the Americas, to India, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia with all the latest news from the label and package printing market.

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